REPORT 


OF 


BOARD  OF  ENGINEERS,  U.  S.  ARMY, 


ON 


STORAGE  OF  EXPLOSIVES  IN  NEW  YORK 

HARBOR. 


WASHHSrGTOIT: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE, 

1893. 


REPORT 


OP 


BOAED  OF  ENGINEEPiS,  U.  S.  ARMY, 


ON 


STORAGE  OF  EXPLOSIVES  IN  NEW  YORK 

HARBOR. 


WASHINGTOTT: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 
1893. 


Treasury  Department, 

Document  No.  1560. 
Office  of  Secretary, 
Division  Revenue  Marine, 


REPORT  ON  STORAGE  OF  EXPLOSIVES  m  NEW  YORK  HARBOR. 


Teeasijry  Department, 

Office  of  the  Secretary, 
Washmgtonj  D.  C,  June  1,  1892, 

The  honorable  the  Secretary  of  War  : 

Sir:  I  have  respectfully  to  state  that  complaints  have  been  made  to 
this  Department  that  the  large  quantity  of  explosive  materials  stored 
in  the  barges  anchored  in  the  vicinity  of  Ellis  Island  and  Bedloe's 
Island  is  a  constant  menace  to  the  lives  and  i)roperty  of  the  citizens  of 
New  Jersey  located  near  that  point. 

I  have  the  honor  to  request  that,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  or 
not  there  are  good  grounds  for  the  complaints,  a  board,  to  be  composed 
of  officers  of  the  Armj^,  be  designated  to  examine  into  the  matter,  and 
report  whether,  in  their  opinion,  tlie  present  anchorage  near  the  islands 
mentioned  for  vessels  and  barges  with  explosives  stored  on  board  is,  as 
claimed,  a  menace  to  the  lives  and  i)roperty  of  the  citizens  referred  to. 

Capt.  J.  W.  Congdon,  commanding  tlie  revenue  steamer  Manhattan, 
which  vessel  is  on  anchorage  duty  at  the  port  of  New  York,  will  be  in- 
structed to  convey  the  board  to  such  points  as  they  may  desire  to  visit 
upon  application. 

Capt.  Congdon  has  been  engaged  upon  this  special  work  for  some 
time  and  is  well  informed  upon  the  subject,  and  may  be  able  to  assist 
the  board  in  their  labors. 

I  desire  to  state  in  this  connection  that  there  is  no  approi^riation 
under  this  Department  from  which  any  expenses  incident  to  the  board 
could  proxjerly  be  paid. 

Herewith  is  transmitted  a  copy  of  the  rules  and  regulations  relating 
to  the  anchorage  of  vessels  in  the  port  of  New  York. 
Kespectfully  youis, 

O.  S.  SPAULDINa, 

Acting  Secretary. 


EXPLOSIVES  NEAR  ELLIS  AND  BEDLOE'S  ISLANDS. 

War  Department, 
Washington,  October  29,  1892, 
Sir  :  In  response  to  your  letter  of  June  1  last,  stating  that  com- 
plaints had  been  made  to  your  Department  that  the  large  quantity  of 
explosive  materials  stored  in  the  barges  anchored  in  the  vicinity  of 
Ellis  Island  and  Bedloe's  Island,  New  York  Harbor,  is  a  constant 

3 


4 


menace  to  tlie  lives  and  property  of  the  citizens  located  near  that  point, 
and  asking  tliat  a  board  of  Army  officers  be  designated  to  examine  and 
report  upon  the  matter,  I  have  the  honor  to  advise  you  that  the  sub- 
ject was  referred  to  the  Board  of  Engineers  at  Kew  York  City  for 
action,  as  desired  by  you,  and  the  report  of  the  Board  and  accompany- 
ing pa|)ers  are  transmitted  herewith  for  your  information. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  report  of  the  Boiird 
is  considered  by  this  Department  to  be  of  such  value  as  to  warrant 
that  it  be  printed  in  full,  including  the  papers  which  accompany  it, 
and,  if  you  should  so  decide,  the  Department  would  greatly  appreciate 
the  favor  to  be  furnished  with  500  copies  of  the  same  for  distribution 
to  the  Army. 

Very  respectfully, 

L.  A.  Grant, 
Acting  Secretary  of  War, 

The  honorable  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


POWDER  BARGES  IN  NEW  YORK  HARBOR. 

The  Board  of  Engineers,  Army  Building, 

I^ew  York  City,  October  18,  1892, 

Brig.  Gen.  Thomas  L.  Casey, 

Chief  of  Engineers,  IT.  S,  A.,  Washington,  D,  C: 

General:  Tlie  Board  of  Engineers  has  had  under  examination  the 
matter  of  the  storage  of  large  quantities  of  explosive  materials  on 
barges  anchored  in  the  vicinity  of  Ellis  and  Bedloe's  islands,  New  York 
Harbor,  concerning  which  an  investigation  by  a  board  of  Army  officers 
was  requested  by  the  lionorable  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  on  June 
1,  1892;  and,  in  accordance  with  your  indorsement  upon  the  papers 
dated  June  0,  1892,  has  now  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  rei)ort 
thereon : 

Upon  the  receipt  of  the  documents  a  conference  was  had  with  Capt. 
J.  W.  (Jongdon,  of  the  Eevenue  Marine  Service,  to  whom  the  Board  is 
indebted  for  important  information  on  the  subject.  Stenographic  notes 
of  the  interview  are  appended,  marked  A. 

On  June  11  a  public  hearing  was  had,  to  which  all  parties  interested 
in  the  storing  of  exj^losives  at  the  locality  in  question  were  invited.  A 
record  of  the  proceedings  is  appended,  marked  B. 

On  June  13  the  Board,  in  company  with  Oapt.  Oongdon,  made  an  in- 
spection of  the  powder  barges  at  their  anchorage.  A  record  of  the 
notes  of  this  inspection  is  appended,  marked  0. 

The  information  thus  obtained  convinced  the  Board  that  the  subject 
was  one  of  serious  importance,  and  that  no  pfibrt  should  be  spared  to 
obtain  full  knowledge  of  all  important  facts  bearing  thereon.  Authority 
was  therefore  asked  and  received  to  call  a  public  meeting  by  formal 
advertisement  at  which  all  interested  parties  should  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  present  their  views.  The  meeting  was  held  on  July  14  and 
was  well  attended.  Attention  is  invited  to  the  stenographic  record 
appended  and  marked  13. 

The  facts  thus  collected  relative  to  the  storage  of  explosive  material 
lit  the  locality  in  question  may  be  summed  up  as  follows : 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  Congress  approved 


6 


May  16,  1888,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  under  date  of  July  5, 1889, 
defined  and  established  certain  anchorage  grounds  in  the  bay  and  har- 
bor of  New  York.  These  regulations  are  still  in  force.  Three  anchorage 
areas  for  vessels  carrying  gunpowder  or  other  explosives  are  defined, 
and  only  three.    They  are  as  follows : 

First.  On  the  shoal  jp:onnd  to  the  eastward  of  Eikers  Island,  East  River,  fi-om  one- 
quarter  to  five-eighths  of  a  mile  from  this  island. 

Second.  On  Jersey  Flats  to  the  westward  of  a  line  running  NE.  by  N.,  from  the 
outer  end  of  the  i)ier,  east  of  Black  Tom  Island,  provided  that  such  vessels  do  not 
anchor  within  800  yards  of  Ellis  Island,  or  within  500  yards  of  any  pier. 

Third.  On  the  flats  to  the  south  of  a  line  drawn  from  Bedloe's  Island  to  Cavans 
T'oint,  New  Jersey,  and  to  the  westward  of  a  line  from  Bedloe's  Island  to  Robbiiis 
Reef,  provided  that  they  do  not  anchor  within  1,000  yards  of  either  Bedloe's  Island 
or  Rohbins  Reef  light,  or  within  500  yards  of  any  pier.  Vessels  carrying  explosives 
of  too  great  draft  to  use  this  anchorage  may  anchor  only  in  Gravesend  Bay,  but  not 
within  1,000  yards  of  the  shore. 

The  present  inquiry  refers  to  the  second  of  these  areas.  It  is  now 
used  by  six  powder  companies,  viz :  the  Laflin  &  Hand  Powder  Com- 
pany, the  Hazard  Powder  Company,  and  E.  I.  Du  Pont,  De  Nemours  & 
Company,  all  of  which  store  only  black  powder;  and  by  the  High  Ex- 
I)l()sive  Company,  the  Eepauno  Chemical  Companj^,  and  by  the  Von 
Lengerke  &  Detmold  Company,  the  first  two  of  which  store  high  ex- 
plosives, and  the  last  black  powder  and  smokeless  powder  only. 

The  i)Owder  barges  of  these  companies  are  under  no  regular  super- 
vision by  the  General  Government  or  by  State  authorities.  No  limits 
are  imposed  as  to  the  amounts  of  powder  which  may  be  stored  at  any 
one  time,  nor  as  to  the  regulations  to  be  observed  for  its  care  and  safety. 
No  formal  rules  are  posted  on  the  barges  for  the  government  of  themen 
in  charge.  It  is  stated  that  the  presence  of  at  least  one  person  on 
board  is  required,  and  that  care  is  taken  to  select  trustworthy  persons 
for  this  duty.  Families  were  living  on  two  of  the  barges,  and  on  some 
cooking  and  lights  wercpermitted  without  sufficient  safeguards  against 
fires.  Permanent  anchorage  sites  have  been  assigned  to  the  difi'erent 
barges,  and  provisions  to  prevent  drifting  out  of  position  have  been 
made.  The  slight  depth  of  water  excludes  large  vessels  and  affords 
protection  against  collisions,  while  the  set  of  the  current  affords  safety 
against  drifting  ice.  On  the  other  hand,  many  small  vessels  lie  up  in 
the  winter  in  the  water  space  between  the  powder  anchorage  and  the 
shore  of  New  Jersey,  thus  placing  themselves  within  the  danger  radius 
in  case  of  accidental  explosion.  They  are  only  prevented  from  occu- 
pying the  anchorage  ground  itself  by  the  supposed  fear  of  danger  which 
will  thus  be  incurred.  Although  powder  barges  have  been  anchored 
in  this  vicinity  for  nuiny  years  no  accident  involving  an  explosion  has 
occurred,  but  on  one  occasion  a  large  amount  of  a  high  explosive  was 
burned  on  a  barge  at  her  moorings. 

As  to  the  amounts  of  powder  which  are  stored  in  the  barges,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  requirement^^  of  business  have  heretofore  ruled,  but  at 
the  meeting  it  was  recognized  by  the  representatives  of  the  companies 
that  some  restrictions  should  be  establislied.  In  reply  to  a  letter  of 
the  board  asking  to  be  informed  what  would  be  the  miiiimum  amounts 
that  would  not  unreasonably  cripple  the  trade,  the  following  was  re- 
ceived ! 

The  Laflin  &  Eand  Powder  Company,  37,500  pounds  black  powder,- 
the  Hazard  Company,  18,750  pounds  black  powder  j  the  E.  I.  DuPont, 
De  Nemours  Company,  12,500  pounds  black  powder ;  the  Eepauno  Chemi- 
cal Company,  10,000  pounds  high  explosives  j  the  High  Explosive  Com- 
pany, 30,000  pounds  high  explosives  5  the  Yon  Lengerke  &  Detmold 


6 


Company,  7,500  pounds  black  powder,  and  25,000  pounds  smokeless 
powder. 

These  figures  aggregate  70,250  pounds  of  black  powder,  40,000  pounds 
of  liigli  exidosives,  and  25,000  pounds  of  smokeless  ])owder.  They  may 
be  considered  as  representing  the  desires  of  the  powder  compauies  at 
present  for  water  storage  in  the  harbor  of  New  York.  In  addition,  the 
Hazard  Powder  Company  has  a  land  depot  under  the  Palisades  al)()ut 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  Fort  Lee,  on  the  Jersey  shore j  the  Du 
Pont  Powder  Comi)aiiy  has  another  in  the  same  vicinity;  and  the 
Laflin  &  Kand  Powder  Company  another  under  the  Palisades  about 
IG  miles  up  the  river.  The  other  companies  are  understood  to  receive 
their  sui)plies  on  the  barges  direct  from  the  factories,  without  interme- 
diate storage, 

The  questions  before  the  Board  render  it  necessary  to  consider:  (1) 
The  powder  trade  of  New  York,  including  its  extent,  the  legal  restric- 
tions under  Avhich  it  is  conducted,  and  the  facilities  to  which  it  has  a 
reasonable  claim.  (2)  In  the  event  of  large  explosions,  whether  of  black 
powder  or  of  high  explosives,  what  is  the  danger  radius  beyond  which 
no  serious  destruction  of  property  or  danger  to  life  is  to  be  apprehended  ? 
(3)  In  case  it  shall  appear  tliat  the  use  of  powder  barges  may  be  con- 
tinued under  suitable  restrictions,  what  safeguards  in  the  way  of  rules 
and  regulations  and  what  provisions  for  their  enforcement  are  neces- 
sary to  protect  the  public  against  carelessness  and  neglect  on  board  the 
barges  or  against  defects  in  their  construction'^  These  three  questions 
will  be  considered  in  turn. 

THE  POWDER  TRADE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  refer  to  the  very  extensive  and  increasing 
use  which  is  made  of  explosive  agents  in  executing  the  public  and 
private  works  demanded  by  the  conditions  of  modern  civilization.  The 
necessity  of  affording  every  proper  facility  to  their  procurement  is  rec- 
ognized everywhere,  and  even  in  conservative  Great  Britain,  where 
many  restrictions  unknown  in  this  country  are  imposed  on  the  manu- 
facture, storage,  and  use  of  these  agents,  the  presence  of  i)OAvder  barges 
or  "  magazines  "  so-called,  on  the  river  Thames,  quite  near  the  city  of 
London,  and  in  the  track  of  commerce,  is  authorized  as  an  unavoidable 
evil.  The  subject  should  therefore  be  approacihed  in  a  reasonable 
spirit,  not  prejudiced  by  groundless  fears. 

In  order  to  comprehend  the  public  importance  of  the  interests  in- 
volved in  the  powder  trade  of  New  York,  not  considered  merely  as  a 
source  of  profit  to  the  manufacturers  and  shii^pers,  but  also  as  a 
necessity  to  the  public,  it  has  seemed  important  to  ascertain  as  nearly 
as  may  be,  the  actual  extent  of  the  annual  traffic,  local  and  interior, 
coastwise,  and  with  foreign  countries.  This  has  not  been  easy  to 
accomplish,  as  the  figures  are  not  contained  in  the  commercial  i^ubli- 
cations;  but  it  is  believed  that  the  following  table,  which  is  based  on 
inquiries  among  the  manufacturers,  Avill  err  rather  by  underestimating 
than  by  overestimating  the  amount  of  this  traffic  for  the  year  1891. 
For  convenience  the  explosives  are  separated  into  two  classes,  non- 
detonating,  represented  by  the  different  grades  of  ordinary  black 
gunpowder  with  a  small  i^ercentage  of  smokeless  varieties,  and  all 
detonating  compounds  and  mixtures  i)roperly  designated  as  high  ex- 
plosives. It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  much  of  the  traffic  does  not 
pass  through  the  anchorage. 


7 


Nondetonating  powders. 


Ponnds. 

For  local  and  interior  use  -   3,  739, 000 

For  coastwise  traffic   1,223,000 

For  foreign  export  1, 128, 000 


Total   6,090,000 

High  explosives. 

Pounds. 

For  local  and  interior  use   315,  (XK) 

For  coastwise  traffic   911,  000 

For  foreign  export   211,  000 


Total  ;   1,437,000 


These  figures  certainly  demonstrate  the  importance  of  the  powder 
trade  of  ]New  York,  and  it  remains  to  consider  the  restrictions  under 
which  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons  the  traffic  is  conducted. 

The  State  and  municipal  regulations,  which  are  enforced  in  view  of 
the  public  safety  of  the  port,  are  summarized  in  the  paper  hereto  a^)- 
pended  marked  E.  They  are  somewhat  difi^'erent  in  the  States  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  and  are  therefore  set  forth  for  each  separately. 
It  will  be  noted  that  these  regulations  impose  restrictions  which  are 
necessarily  onerous,  and  which^  call  for  as  much  relief  as  is  consistent 
with  the  public  safety.  Under 'them  the  three  great  black-powder  com- 
panies, the  Laflin  &  Rand,  the  Hazard,  and  the  E.  I.  Du  Pont>-De  Ne- 
mours, have  i)rovided  land  magazines  at  isolated  positions  on  North  River, 
from  which  all  business  is  conducted  which  can  be  conveniently  so  ac- 
commodated. The  regulations  which  limit  the  time  during  which  powder 
may  be  kept  afloat  render  it  necessary  that  shipments  shall  be  made 
promptly  just  before  the  vessels  leave  the  port,  and  hence  require  facili- 
ties* for  water  delivery.  The  expedient  of  powder  baiges  moored  in  the 
harbor  naturally  results,  and  the  dangers  of  collision,  of  the  dragging 
of  anchors  during  storms,  and  of  floating  ice  limit  the  localities  which 
are  available.  The  site  opposite  Communipaw  is  so  much  the  superior 
of  any  of  the  three  authorized  by  the  Treasury  Department  that  it  alone 
is  used. 

The  limitations  of  the  traffic  are  succinctly  set  forth  in  the  following 
extract  from  a  communication  of  one  of  the  companies : 

Orders  must  be  packed,  marked,  and  held  ready  for  vessels  which  at  times  stop  at 
our  barge  for  the  same  on  their  way  to  sea;  often  they  are  from  one  to  five  days  late 
in  calling  on  us  for  the  powder,  and  you  will  see  we  are  compelled  to  hold  it  on  the 
s^jot  during  that  time.  Again,  export  shipments  must  be  made  on  exact  time,  and 
this  is  usually  early  in  the  morning,  say  from 6  to  8  o'clock;  hence  we  must  have  the 
powder  near  at  hand.  Most  of  the  railroads  here  take  powder  but  once  a  week  on 
separate  specified  days,  and  we  consequently  are  compelled  to  have  a  near-by  place 
at  which  to  mark  and  set  aside  accumulated  orders  for  ready  shipment  on  these  spe- 
cial days.  City  deliveries  require  to  be  made  promptly,  and  for  that  additional  rea- 
son we  must  be  in  position  to  do  so.  We  mention  these  conditions  to  show  you  that 
our  North  River  magazine  would  be  out  of  the  question  as  a  point  from  which  to 
make  daily  deliveries.  That  magazine  being  over  10  miles  distant,  is  only  fit  as  a 
storage  from  which  to  replenish  our  barge  stock  from  time  to  time,  aud  has  enabled 
us  in  the  past,  and  will  also  in  the  future,  to  limit  the  amount  of  stock  carried  on 
the  barge  to  a  comparatively  small  quantity. 

It  remains  to  consider  how  far  facilities  can  be  granted  to  so  impor- 
tant a  traffic,  without  exposing  the  i>ublic  to  serious  risks  in  case  of  an 
a<3cidental  explosion.  That  none  has  occurred  during  the  many  years 
in  which  it  has  been  gradually  developed,  speaks  well  for  the  caution 


8 


observed  by  the  companies,  but  where  so  immense  interests  are  at 
stake,  too  much  care  can  not  be  taken  to  prescribe  and  enforce  all  need- 
ful regulations. 

THE  DANGER  RADIUS. 

Many  local  circumstances,  beside  the  kind  and  quantity  of  the  explo- 
sive, affect  the  danger  radius.  Such  are  the  suddenness  and  complete- 
ness of  the  chemical  reaction,  the  degree  of  the  local  confinement,  the 
nature  of  the  surface  of  the  country  intervening  between  the  explosion 
and  the  object  affected,  and  finally  the  fact  that  the  actual  intensity  of 
action  varies  somewhat  at  difl'erent  azimuth  angles,  producing  discrep- 
ancies in  the  observed  effects  not  always  easy  to  explain.  Iri  a  word, 
there  is  no  law  which  governs  in  all  cases,  and  accepted  rules  for  deter- 
mining the  danger  radius  are  simply  empiric  deductions  from  such 
observed  facts  in  large  accidental  explosions  as  serve  to  throw  light 
upon  the  subject.  A  brief  summary  of  the  more  important  of  these 
records  is  appended,  marked  F,  and  to  it  attention  is  invited.  It  is  to 
be  regretted  that  the  lack  of  authentic  information  as  to  the  amount  of 
the  explosive,  or  as  to  the  precise  effects  at  known  ranges,  deprives 
many  disastrous  accidents  of  the  value  they  otherwise  would  have  in 
investigations  like  the  present. 

Legislation  in  Great  Britain  is  much  i^  advance  of  that  in  this  country 
in  regulating  the  manufacture,  storage,  and  use  of  explosive  material. 
In  the  year  1875  a  general  explosives  act  was  passed,  and  it  has  been 
modified  from  time  to  time  as  suggested  by  experience,  until  now  the 
rules  and  regulations,  and  the  provisions  for  enforcing  them,  are  of 
great  utility  in  protecting  life  and  property. 

The  administration  of  the  act  is  vested  in  the  secretary  of  state,  who 
may  appoint  fit  persons  as  inspectors  and  assign  them  their  duties. 
These  ofiicers  are  now  three  in  number — Col.  Y.  D.  Majendie,  chief  in- 
spector, and  Cols.  A.  Ford  and  J.  P.  Cundill,  inspectors.  Their  an- 
nual re])orts  and  their  special  reports  on  particular  cases  are  of  gen- 
eral value  and  widely-recognized  authority.  These  of&cers  have  made 
careful  studies  of  all  data  existing  upon  the  subject,  and  their  conclu- 
sions merit  the  most  careful  consideration  in  cases  like  the  present. 

The  explosives  act  makes  a  distinction  between  what  is  called  a 
"  store"  and  a  "magazine.'^  The  former  is  a  building  licensed  by  local 
authority,  to  contain  not  over  4,000  pounds.  All  rules  relating  to 
"  stores "  are  matters  of  statute,  and  the  local  authorities  have  no  dis- 
cretion in  regard  to  the  grant  or  refusal  of  the  license  when  the  appli- 
cant is  in  position  to  satisfy  the  legal  requirements.  If  the  applicant 
requires  larger  quantities  or  less  distances,  or  desires  to  keep  the  ex- 
plosives in  a  floating  magazine,  he  must  apply  to  the  secretary  of  state 
for  a  "  magazine  "  license.  The  secretary  of  state  is  not  bound  by  any 
statutory  limits.  He  judges  each  case  on  its  merits.  In  deciding  upon 
such  licenses  the  authorities  are  guided  as  to  quantities  and  distances, 
in  a  very  large  degree,  by  a  carefully  prepared  "table  of  distances," 
which  extends  up  to  100,000  pounds,  with  proportionate  distances  from 
various  classes  of  protected  works.  A  copy  of  this  table  is  appended, 
marked  G. 

The  following  rules  are  followed  in  applying  this  table :  If  mounds 
or  screens  of  earth,  whether  natural  or  artificial,  protect  the  magazine, 
the  distances  laid  down  are  reduced  one-half;  and  this  principle  is  ap- 
plied to  floating  magazines  where  the  explosive  is  kept  below  the  water 


9 


line,  the  water  being  regarded  as  a  mound  or  screen  to  prevent  extended 
natural  effects.  Again,  in  "  stores  "  1  pound  of  high  explosive  is  allowed 
for  2  pounds  of  gunpowder;  but  as  appears  from  the  table,  in  the  case 
of  ^'magazines,"  when  the  quantity  exceeds  a  certain  amount  the  dis- 
tinction disappears,  because  the  effects  of  high  explosives  at  a  distance 
do  not  appear  to  increase  in  a  higher  ratio  than  those  of  gunpowder. 

The  Board  regards  this  English  practice  as  the  best  guide  available 
for  deciding  such  cases  as  are  now  under  consideration,  supported  as 
it  is  by  known  data  obtained  from  the  study  of  the  effect  produced  in 
great  explosions. 

The  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  for  this 
anchorage,  as  already  stated,  j)rovide  that  vessels  carrying  gunpowder 
or  other  explosives  shall  not  anchor  within  800  yards  of  Ellis  Island, 
or  within  500  yards  of  any  pier,  or  to  the  eastward  of  a  certain  defined 
line.  Tlie  space  thus  established  for  the  anchorage  forms  an  iiregular 
trapezoid  containing  about  45  acres,  having  sides,  resj)ectively,  of  about 
2,250  feet,  750  feet,  1,800  feet,  and  2,250  feet. 

In  applying  the  English  table  to  this  case,  the  question  arises,  what 
class  of  protected  structures  should  be  assumed  to  meet  the  i)roblem 
here  i^resentedf  Since  objection  is  made  to  any  storage  of  explosives 
in  this  vicinity,  English  custom  would  apply  the  most  stringent  rule 
applicable  in  such  cases,  namely,  that  for  "a  dwelling  house  without 
the  consent  of  the  occupier,  a  factory  not  belonging  to  the  Government, 
a  church  or  chapel,  a  university,  college  or  school,  a  hospital  or  i)ublic 
institution,  a  town  hall  or  court  of  justice,  a  covered  market,  theater  or 
building  wherein  i^ersons  are  accustomed  to  assemble."  For  such 
structures  the  amount  of  black  powder  or  high  explosives  allowed  to  be 
stored  when,  as  in  this  case,  the  danger  radius  is  500  yards,  is  24,000 
pounds,  provided,  in  the  case  of  a  lioating  magazine,  that  the  explosive 
be  stored  below  the  tcater  line;  if  stored  above  that  line  the  amount  is 
reduced  to  9,375  pounds. 

Hence,  as  appears  from  the  dimensions  above  given,  the  established 
anchorage  area  will  accommodate  seven  vessels,  spaced  at  280  yards 
apart,  the  distance  required  for  a  load  of  24,000  pounds;  or  twelve  ves- 
sels, spaced  at  200  yards  apart,  the  distance  required  for  a  load  of  9,375 
pounds.  The  area  allotted  is,  therefore,  ample  for  the  present  needs  of 
the  powder  trade,  provided  the  rules  for  securing  public  safety  in  Eng- 
land can  be  accepted  as  sufficient. 

REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  STORAGE. 

The  following  are  the  terms  of  the  official  license  granted  by  the 
Secretary  of  State,  for  a  magazine  for  exiDlosives,  under  the  foregoing 
rules : 

1.  The  site  of  the  magazine  shall  be  that  shown  on  the  plan  signed  by  a  Govern- 
ment inspector,  hereto  attached. 

2.  The  distances  to  be  maintained  between  the  magazine  and  snch  buildings  and 
works  as  are  specified  in  the  schedule  hereto,  shall  be  those  set  forth  in  the  said  sched- 
ule; and  if  at  any  time  after  the  grant  of  this  license,  by  reason  of  the  approach  of 
any  such  buildings  or  works  the  magazine  ceases  to  be  beyond  the  distances  therein 
specified,  this  license  shall  cease  to  authorize  the  use  of  the  magazine  for  the  keep- 
ing of  explosive. 

3.  The  mounds,  buildings,  and  works  in  or  connected  with  tlie  magazine  shall  be 
those  shown  on  the  aforesaid  i)hin,  and  their  construction  shall  be  . 

4.  No  explosive  shall  be  kept  in  the  magazine  other  than  . 

5.  The  quantity  of  explosive  in  the  magazine  shall  not  at  any  one  time  exceed 


10 


6.  The  hatches  of  the  hold  Bhall  not  he  open ;  and  explosive  and  the  cases  contain- 
iii;^  the  same  shall  not  bo  exposeci  or  uncovered  while  any  steam  vessel  is  within  50 
yards  of  the  magazine. 

7.  The  portion  of  the  masjazino  marked  cabin  on  the  aforesaid  plan  B,  shall  he 
usetl  as  a  residence  for  a  watchman,  and  there  shall  at  all  times  be  a  competent  per- 
son on  board  the  luagazine. 

8.  The  amount  of  coal  in  the  magazine  at  any  one  time  shall  not  exceed  

liuudr<'d  weight,  and  of  other  iuel  hundred  weight,  and  such  (;oal  and  fuel 

shall  be  kept  only  in  a  properly  ventilated  place  on  the  deck  of  the  magazine. 

9.  No  artiiicial  means  of  lighting  shall  be  permitted  on  board  the  magazine  but 
candles  or  vegetable  oil  in  a  lam])  or  lantern  of  such  description  as  not  to  cause  any 
danger  from  hre  or  oxidosion,  aiul  no  matches  other  than  sal'ety  matches  shall  be 
allowed  on  board  the  magazine,  and  the  said  safety  matches  shall  be  kept  in  a  place 
set  apart  for  their  safe  keeping  in  the  cabin  of  the  magazine. 

10.  No  lire  shall  be  allowed  on  board  the  magazine  except  iu  a  stove  in  the  cabin, 
and  every  portion  of  the  magazine  about  and  near  to  such  stove  and  to  the  line  thereof 
shall  l)e  screened  and  protected  by  a  good  and  sufficient  covering  of  sheet  iron,  zinc, 
or  lead,  and  such  stove  and  flue  shall  not  be  in  contact  with  any  woodwork  or  other 
inflammable  material. 

11.  The  magazine  shall  be  provided  with  a  valve  or  valves  situated  below  the 
water  line,  and  of  such  position,  construction,  and  dimensions  as  to  be  readily  opened 
from  the  deck  so  as  to  admit  sufficient  water  readily  to  tlood  the  hold  in  the  event 
of  any  fire  breaking  out  on  board  the  magazine. 

1  12.  A  red  flag  not  less  than  3  feet  square  shall  be  at  all  tunes  kept  hoisted  in  a 
conspicuous  ])osition  on  board  the  magazine,  and  the  magazine  shall  be  otherwise 
distinguished  in  such  manner  (if  any)  as  the  harbor  authority  within  whose  juris- 
diction the  magazine  is  situated  may  appoint. 

VIEWS  OF  THE  BOARD. 

When  inspected  by  tlie  Board  on  June  13, 1892,  the  six  floating  maga- 
zines known  as  powder  barges  "  were  all  moored  at  the  anchorage 
near  Ellis  Island  to  which  they  had  been  assigned;  and  in  the  docu- 
ment appended  to  this  report,  marked  0,  will  be  found  a  detailed  state- 
ment of  what  si^ecially  attracted  notice. 

The  watchmen  on  board  reported  the  following  as  the  actual-con- 
tents of  the  magazines  at  that  date : 


Barge. 


V.  and  L.  Detmold. 

Palinurua  

Bessie  

Joseph  W.  Fuller  . 

Electric  

Sallie  and  Sophie  . . 


Kind  of  explosive. 


Smokeless  and  black  powder  

Dynamite  

Atlas  and  Etna  powder  (about)  

Black  powder  (about)  

Black  powder  

Black  powder  and  some  cartridge  sheUs. 


Total 


Amount  in 
pounds. 


2,500 
22,850 
22.  500 
325,  000 
30,  000 
25,  000 


427, 050 


On  all  these  barges  the  watchmen  appeared  to  be  trustworthy  men. 
The  regular  occupants  at  night  were :  F.  and  L.  Detmold^  man,  wife, 
and  three  children;  Falinurus ,  man  and  wife,  with  a  temporary  helper 
during  the  man's  illness;  Bessie^  two  men;  Joseph  W.  Fuller j  six  men; 
Electric^  one  man ;  Sallie  and  Sophie,  three  men. 

Marked  distinctions  were  noted  on  the  different  barges  in  the  matter 
of  precautions  taken  to  avoid  accident.  On  none  were  regular  rules 
j:)Osted  for  the  government  of  the  occui)ants,  but  on  all  some  general  in- 
struction had  been  given  verbally.  On  the  Palinurns  a  heap  of  rubbish, 
including  oil  and  rags  liable  to  spontaneous  combustion  in  the  hot 
weather  then  prevailing,  was  found  in  the  interior  of  the  powder 
chamber. 

The  precautions  against  fires  originating  at  the  stoves  were  fairly 


11 


good  on  some  of  the  barges,  but  were  wliolly  neglected  on  others.  The 
presence  of  ordinary  portable  coal-oil  lamps  was  noticed  on  some  of  the 
vessels.  In  brief,  the  discipline  and  well-considered  rules  of  living, 
imperatively  demanded  on  a  floating  magazine,  were  not  generally  ap- 
parent at  this  inspection.  On  the  Joseph  W.  Fuller  the  Board  found, 
as  above  stated,  about  160  tons  of  black  powder.  Such  an  amount  if 
exploded  would  be  dangerous  to  the  occupants  of  Ellis  Island  and  of 
the  I^ew  Jersey  shore. 

The  Board  is  of  opinion  that  the  conditions  existing  at  the  an- 
chorage at  the  time  of  its  inspection  were  "  a  menace  to  the  lives  and 
_  l^roperty  of  citizens  of  New  Jersey  located  near  that  point;"  but  it  is 
equally  of  opinion  that  this  menace  need  not  continue,  provided  a 
judicious  system  of  regulations  as  to  amounts  stored  and  care  to  be 
"  observed,  enforced  by  frequent  official  inspection  of  the  barges,  be 
instituted  by  the  Treasury  Department. 

It  was  frankly  admitteil  by  the  representatives  of  the  ])owder  com- 
panies at  their  heariug  on  June  11,  1892,  that  souu^  limit  sVould  be 
prescribed  as  to  the  maximum  amount  of  exi)losives  to  be  allowed  on 
a  barge  at  any  one  time.  Under  the  usage  regulating  such  matters  in 
England  a  maximum  cargo  of  10  tons  (20,000  pounds)  would  be  li- 
censed at  a  distance  of  o.'H)  yards  from  a  public  i'aih\  ay,  250  yards 
from  a  dwelling  house  with  the  consent  of  the  occu])ant,  and  850  yards 
without  such  consent,  all  these  distances  being  reduced  one-half  if  the 
explosive  be  stored  below  the  water  line.  In  a  case  like  that  under 
consideration  such  cargoes  would  be  authorized  at  anchorages  250 
yards  ai)art. 

If  these  rules  of  practice  should  commend  themselves  to  the  Treas- 
ury Department  the  prescribed  anchorago  near  Ellis  Island  would  ac- 
commodate eight  i)owder  barges  with  maximum  cargoes  of  10  tons 
each,  disposed  at  250  yards  apart,  and  would  thus  more  than  meet  the 
present  needs  of  the  powder  trade  of  the  port  of  New  York,  without 
greater  risks  to  the  community  at  large  than  are  recognized  as  reason- 
able and  safe  at  the  port  of  London. 

Kespectfully  submitted. 

Henry  L.  Abbot, 
Colonel  of  Engineers^  Bvt.  Brig.  Oen.,  U.  S.  A., 

President  of  the  Board. 

C.  B.  COMSTOCK, 

Colonel  of  Engineers ,  Bvt.  Brig.  Gen.^  U.  S.  A. 

D.  O.  Houston, 

Colonel  of  Engineers. 
G.  L.  Gillespie, 
Lieut,  Colonel  of  Engineers. 


12 


A. 

Transcript  of  stc^iographer^s  notes  of  an  intervieio  hettceen  the  Board  of 
Engineers  and  Capt.  J.  W.  Gongdon,  commanding  the  revenue  marine 
steamer  Manhattan,^^  held  in  the  Army  Building ,  New  York  City,  June 
1892y  in  the  matter  of  complaints  relative  to  storage  of  high  explosives 
in  barges  at  the  anchorage  grounds  near  Ellis  and  Bedloe''s  Islands j  New 
YorJc  Harbor, 

Present:  Cols.  Abbot  and  Comstock,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Gillespie,  Mr.  Jay  Stone, 
chief  clerk  and  stenographer,  Capt.  J.  W.  Congdon,  United  States  Revenue - 
Marine  Service. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Captain,  we  would  be  glad  to  know  something  about  the  author- 
ity which  controls  the  anchorages  in  this  harbor. 

Capt.  Cong  DON.  The  act  of  Congress  approved  May  Ifi,  18S8,  gives  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  authority  to  define  the  anchorages  in  this  harbor,  and  make 
regulations  in  that  regard. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Has  the  city  any  harbor  masters  ? 

Capt.  CONGDON.  As  near  as  I  can  ascertain,  the  so-called  harbor  masters  are 
the  dock  masters.  They  merely  have  control  inside  of  the  piers.  There  are 
harbor  masters  appointed  in  New  Jersey,  because  one  of  them  had  some  trouble 
with  some  vessel  anchored  olT  the  pier.  He  tried  to  have  it  moved,  but  a  woman 
on  board  drove  him  off  with  a  shotgun.  They  .sent  for  me  and  I  had  it  moved  out 
of  the  way.  The  man  told  me  that  he  was  a  harbor  master,  but  that  he  had  no 
authority  to  carry  out  his  orders.  Dock  masters  have  come  to  me  several  times 
about  vessels  anchored  along  the  piers.  I  told  them  that  I  had  no  authority  to 
act,  but  if  I  were  in  their  place  1  should  make  them  pay  wharfage. 

Gen.  Comstock.  Prior  to  the  passage  of  this  act,  when  the  United  States 
took  charge  of  these  anchorage  matters,  who  had  control  of  vessels  anchoring 
in  the  harbor  ? 

Capt.  CONGDON.  Harbor  masters  appointed  by  the  State,  and  they  had  as- 
sistants. 

Gen.  Comstock.  Under  State  laws? 
Capt.  CONGDON.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  Comstock.  Are  those  harbor  masters  still  in  existence  ? 

Capt.  Cong  DON.  I  think  not.  Commissioner  Post,  of  the  Dock  Commission, 
stated  yesterday  that  there  was  no  law  that  he  knew  of  which  covered  the  ground. 

Gen.  Comstock.  The  harbor  masters  have  some  authority,  but  you  do  not  . 
know  what  the  laws  are  ? 

Capt.  CONGDON.  No,  sir. 

Gen.  Comstock.  The  question  is,  whether  there  is  not  some  State  law  which 
might  throw  some  light  on  what  has  been  done  heretofore  ? 
Capt.  CONGDON.  I  don't  know. 

Gen.  Abbot.  How  do  you  carry  out  the  regulations  about  anchorages  ?  If 
they  decline  to  obey  your  instructions,  as  in  the  case  of  a  powder  ship,  to  move 
otf ,  would  they  be  lined,  or  is  it  necessary  to  actually  tow  her  olT  yourself  ? 

Capt.  CONGDON.  Year  before  last  j  moved  94(5  vessels  out  of  the  channels.  I 
warned  over  1,500.  As  a  general  thing  they  are  in  the  channels  that  are  mostly 
used.  I  generally  take  right  hold  and  tell  them  they  must  move  off,  but  some- 
times they  pay  very  little  heed  to  me.  I  try  to  give  them  a  fair  show  and  sub- 
mit the  case  to  the  collector  of  customs,  who  submits  it  to  the  district  attorney. 
They  are  then  fined  $100. 

Gen.  Abbot.  If  the  Treasury  Department  should  issue  directions  not  to  allow 
any  more  vessels  in  the  anchorages  here,  is  there  ample  power  to  enforce  them  ? 

Capt.  CoNGDON.  Yes,  sir:  I  should  immediately  write  to  these  people  warn- 
ing them  of  the  fact.    They  say  that  they  will  go  anywheres  where  we  direct. 

Gen.  Abbot.  The  Board  would  like  to  have  any  information  you  can  give  us 
as  to  the  origin  of  those  complaints. 

Capt.  CONGDON.  All  I  know  about  the  matter  is  in  the  correspondence  I  have 
had  with  the  Department,  f  had  a  letter  from  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Jersey 
City,  and  from  a  State  senator  whose  name  I  don't  remember.  I  went  among 
the  powder  people  and  read  them  all  the  correspondence  I  could  get  hold  of  on 
the  subject. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Were  these  vessels  anchored  in  the  proper  anchorage 


13 


grounds,  assigned  to  tnem  under  the  authorit^^of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  ? 
Capt.  Cong  DON.  Yes,  sir. 

Gren.  COMSTOCK.  Has  there  been  any  complaint  made  by  people  on  the  Jersey 
shore  V 

Capt.  CONGDON.  Not  direct  to  me,  but  to  the  Immigration  Bureau  and  then 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  also  to  a  member  of  Congress,  who  intro- 
duced a  resolution  to  have  them  removed  from  the  harbor,  but  it  was  tabled. 
After  receiving  the  letters  I  saw  the  different  powder  people  and  found  out  how 
much  powder  they  had  on  board.  The  following  is  a  letter  I  wrote  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury  in  answer  to  one  I  received  from  him  on  this  subject : 

U.  S.  Revenue  Steamer  Manhattan, 

Port  of  New  Y(yrk,  February  10,  1892. 

Hon.  Charles  Foster, 

Secretary  of  tlie  Treasury ^  Washington,  D,  C: 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  Department  letter  of  the 
8th  instant,  L.  G.  S.,  wherein  I  am  instructed  to  ascertain  and  report  to  the  De- 
partment the  number  of  scows  or  barges  loaded  with  explosives  anchored  in  an- 
chorage ground  No.  1!J,  New  York  Harbor :  the  quantity  of  ammunition  or  ex- 
plosives which  they  contain  ;  to  whom  they  belong,  and  by  what  authority  they 
are  located  in  their  present  position,  and  in  reply  will  state  that  immediately 
u])on  receipt  of  Department  letter  I  sent  a  small  boat  with  an  officer  into  the 
powder  boats  and  got  all  the  information  I  could  from  them,  and  I  have  notified 
the  several  firms  connected  with  the  powder  firms,  and  respectfully  submit  the 
following  statement,  to  wit: 

Dupont  Powder  Company,  No.  32  Pine  street.  The  schooner  Sally  and  Sophie 
has  about  125  pounds  of  black  powder.  Sometimes  has  more.  She  is  also  used 
for  storing  Government  powder. 

Hazard  Powder  Company,  No.  63  Pine  street,  has  one  barge  The  Electric.  She 
has  at  present  from  7  to  8  tons  of  black  powder  on  board  of  her. 

Laflin  &  Rand,  No.  20  Murry  street,  have  a  barge  TtieJ.  W.  Fuller.  Has  about 
40  tons  of  black  jwwder  on  board. 

The  Excelsior  Powder  Company,  45  Broadway;  one  hulk  containing  dynamite. 
Has  about  5  tons  on  her.    Name,  FaUnurvs. 

The  Repauno  Chemical  Company,  No.  239  Broadway,  has  storage  in  hulk  Bes- 
sie, 17,500  pounds  dynamite. 

The  firm  of  V.  L.  Detmold,  No.  8  Murray  street,  dealers  in  fireworks,  etc.,  have 
storage  in  barge  V.  L.  Detmold  in  small  cases;  100  1-pound  cases,  7(52  2-pound 
cases  :  88  kegs  of  25  pounds  each,  336  quart  kegs  of  Q{  pounds  each,  115  cases  of 
non-explosives  and  103  cases  of  metallic  cartridges.  Total,  six  powder  boats. 
They  all  have  watchmen  on  board  and  in  some  cases  whole  families  live  on  board. 

Respectfully  referring  to  what  authority  these  boats  are  located  in  their  pres- 
ent position,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that  on  the  18th  of  last  month  I  received 
a  communication  trom  the  collector  of  customs  at  this  port,  calling  ray  attention 
to  these  powder  boats  and  their  dangerous  proximity  to  the  buildings  on  Ellis 
Island  with  a  view  that  I  might  take  such  action  in  the  premises  as  would  be 
found  necessary  to  enforce  a  strict  compliance  with  the  laws  in  this  respect.  I 
took  immediate  action  in  the  matter  by  sending  an  officer  into  these  boats  and 
locating  them,  finding  them  all  anchored  according  to  law  as  laid  down  in  the 
second  section  of  Anchorage  No.  19  of  the  latest  rules  and  regulations  relating 
to  the  anchorage  of  vessels  in  this  port.  I  find  in  the  first  anchorage  circulars 
issued  by  the  Department,  dated  September  13,  1888,  that  no  mention  was  made 
of  this  anchorage  that  they  now  occupied,  but  in  the  later  circulars,  dated  July 
5,  1889,  this  present  ancVhorage  was  embraced  in  response  I  infer  from  the  rec- 
ommendations of  my  predecessor.  I  beg  leave  to  submit  a  copy  of  my  letter  to 
the  collector  of  customs  on  this  subject.  Also  copy  of  my  letter  to  Lieut. 
Hunker,  U.  S.  Navy,  from  President  Wheeler  of  the  Hazard  Powder  Company 
in  1888,  bearing  on  the  same  subject.  Also  inclose  the  letter  of  William  J. 
Tate,  esq. 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  W.  CONGDON, 
Capt.  U.  S.  Bevenue  Marine, 

Afterwards  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau,  who  wanted  me 
to  recommend  some  place  for  an  anchorage  for  these  people.  I  told  him  that 
there  was  no  place  except  beyond  Gravesend  and  outside  of  the  "gate."  The 


14 


powder  is  being  constantly  rim  in  here.  I  notified  either  the  secretary  or 
president  of  the  Hazard  Powder  Company  about  this  matter,  and  he  staled  to  me 
that  in  some  of  the  towns  they  had  passed  a  law  compelling-  them  to  store  the 
powder  outside  of  the  town.  The  consequence  is  that  people  dealing  in  dyna- 
mite or  powder  smuggle  it  in  and  keep  it  in  places  where  it  was  more  dangerous 
than  if  it  were  in  town.  There  is  more  powder  lying  around  loose  than  there 
was  before. 

Gen.  Abijot.  Have  you  formed  any  views  as  to  what  could  best  be  done  in 
this  matter? 
Capt.  CONGDON.  No,  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  There  are  laws  for  the  regulation  of  transportation  of  dyna- 
mite and  high  explosives  on  land,  but  not  by  water. 

Capt.  Cong  DON.  People  are  doing  this  all  the  time.  If  I  find  a  vessel  coming 
in  with  powder  I  drive  it  out,  but  sometimes  the  tugs  get  the  powder  and  dis- 
charge it  right  onto  the  craft.  They  come  in  to  the  shore  there  in  small  boats, 
and  are  going  backwards  and  forwards  all  the  time. 

The  Board  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  noon  on  the  11th  instant  to  hear  the  views 
of  the  powder  men  on  this  subject. 


B. 

Transcript  of  stenographer'^ s  notes  of  a  puhlic  hearing  held  in  the  Army 
Building^  New  Yorlc  City^  June  11,  1892,  in  the  matter  of  complaints 
relative  to  the  storage  of  high  explosives  in  l)arges  at  the  anchorage 
grounds  near  Ellis  and  Bedloe^s  Islands^  New  York  Harbor. 

Present:  Cols.  Abbot  and  Comstock  and  Lieut.  Col.  Gillespie  ;  Mr.  Jay  Stone, 
chief  clerk  and  stenographer  ;  Capt.  J.  W.  Congdon,  U.  S.  Revenue  Marine  Serv- 
ice ;  Mr,  Willis  Van  Tyne,  Excelsior  Dynamite  Company  ;  Mr.  Edward  Greene, 
Laflin  &  Rand  Powder  Company  ;  Mr.  Arthur  Hyndman,  E.  I.  Du  Pont,  De  Ne- 
mours &  Co. ;  Mr.  E.  F.  Hamlin,  Repauno  Chemical  Company ;  Mr.  George 
Weightman,  Hazard  Powder  Company  ;  Messrs.  Van.  Lengerke  &  Detmold. 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  will  read  the  following  letter  from  the  Treasury  Department, 
80  that  it  may  be  understood  by  gentlemen  present : 

Treasury  Department, 

June  i,  1892. 

The  honorable  Secretary  of  War  : 

Sir:  I  have  respectfully  to  state  that  complaints  have  been  made  to  this  De- 
partment that  the  large  quantity  of  explosive  materials  stored  in  the  barges  an- 
chored in  the  vicinity  of  Ellis  Island  and  Bedloe's  Island  is  a  constant  mena-je 
to  the  lives  and  property  of  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey  located  near  that  point. 

I  have  the  honor  to  request  that,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  there 
are  good  grounds  for  the  complaints,  a  board,  to  be  composed  of  officers  of  the 
Army,  be  designated  to  examine  into  the  matter  and  report  whether  in  their 
0])inion  the  present  anchorage  near  the  islands  mentioned  for  vessels  and  barges 
with  explosives  stored  on  board  is,  as  claimed,  a  menace  to  the  lives  and  prop- 
erty of  the  citizens  referred  to. 

Capt.  J.  W.  Congdon,  commanding  the  revenue  steamer  Manhattan,  which 
vessel  is  on  anchorage  duty  at  the  port  of  New  York,  will  be  instructed  to  con- 
vey the  Board  to  such  points  as  they  may  desire  to  visit,  upon  application.  Capt. 
Congdon  has  been  engaged  upon  this  special  work  for  some  time  and  is  well  in- 
formed upon  the  subject,  and  may  be  able  to  assist  the  Board  in  their  labors. 

I  desire  to  state  in  this  connection  that  there  is  no  appropriation  under  this 
Department  from  which  any  expenses  incident  to  the  Board  could  properly  be 
paid. 

Herewith  is  transmitted  a  copy  of  the  rules  and  regulations  relating  to  the 
anchorage  of  vessels  in  the  port  of  New  York. 
Respectfully  yours, 

O.  L.  Spaulding, 

Acting  Secretary. 


15 


Gen.  Abbot.  We  desire  to  thoroughly  understand  the  subject  under  investiga- 
tion. We  have  had  an  examination  made  of  the  laws  of  the  State  bearing  on  the 
matter,  and  have  addressed  similar  invitations  to  those  you  have  received  to  at- 
tend this  meeting  to  all  parties  interested  that  we  knew  of.  We  want  to  learn 
what  you  have  to  say  on  the  subject,  what  difficulties  may  exist,  and  what  would 
be  the  best  means  for  obviating  them;  in  other  words,  to  have  a  full  discussion, 
and  to  act  intelligently  on  sufficient  informiation.  We  would  be  very  glad  to 
hear  from  any  gentleman  present  on  the  subject. 

Mr.  Greene.  That  is  rather  short  notice  foi*  many  of  us.  The  Du  Pont  Com- 
pany at  Wilmington  is  represented  by  Mr.  Hyndman.  He  has  to  refer  every-, 
thing  to  them,  and  I  have  to  submit  this  matter  to  our  board  of  directors.  I 
shall  see  some  of  them  to-morrow  and  some  of  them  next  day.  I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  consult  with  them  and  take  their  advice,  and  I  suppose  that  Mr.  Hamlin, 
of  the  Du  Pont  Company,  is  similarly  situated.  Mr.  Detmold  is  here  to  speak 
for  himself.  If  you  wish  me  to  state  what  I  think  of  the  storage  of  powder,  I 
will  do  so.  I  think  that  it  would  be  very  unfortunate  for  all  of  us  if  we  were 
driven  away  entirely. 

It  would  be  hardly  possible  for  us  to  do  any  foreign  or  domestic  trade.  For 
instance,  suppose  we  engaged  a  vessel  to  take  a  shipment  of  powder,  and  she  is 
to  sail  on  the  17th  instant.  When  that  time  comes  around  it  is  found  that  she  is 
not  ready .  If  we  had  to  bring  that  powder  in  by  rail,  we  could  not  of  course  send 
it  back,  and  it  therefore  seems  absolutely  essential  that  we  should  have  some 
place  of  deposit  here  in  the  harbor.  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  think  the  storage 
of  powder  is  carried  perhaps  a  little  too  f»r  in  some  cases,  and  that  the  quantity 
permitted  to  accumulate  is  too  great. 

Gen.  CoMSTOCK.  You  are  referring  now  to  storage  on  vessels  in  this  particu- 
lar place  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  Yes,  sir.  I  believe  that  if  the  matter  could  be  thoroughly  in- 
vestigated, and  it  could  be  decided  how  much  each  vessel  was  permitted  to  keep 
on  store,  that  that  would  be  the  best  way  of  settling  the  matter. 

Gen.  CoMSTOCK.  How  much  has  your  company  had  in  store  there  at  any  one 
time — the  maximum  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  It  is  a  very  large  quantity.  I  have  no  doubt  that  there  have 
been  400  tons  of  gunpowder  stored  there  at  one  time. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  By  your  own  company? 

Mr.  Greene.  At  some  time. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Your  company  has  no  dealings  in  high  explosives? 

Mr.  Greene.  No.  sir;  not  at  all.  We  are  interested  as  stockholders  in  dyna- 
mite companies,  but  do  not  sell  anj'  in  ours. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Is  there  any  limit  to  the  amount  of  powder  that  any  one  ves- 
sel can  carry  ?  . 

Mr.  Greene.  Shipments  made  for  abroad  are  not, generally  speaking,  of  very 
large  amounts.    Shipments  of  1,0(X)  kegs  are  as  large  as  any  of  us  make. 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  ship  1,500  kegs,  but  there  are  times  when  there  are 
orders  for  even  larger  quantities  than  that.  Take  the  case  of  the  Hazard  Pow- 
der Company.  Before  many  days  we  will  have  a  shii)ment  to  make  in  this 
harbor  and  for  export  which  will  be  large.  We  have  been  trying  for  the  past 
year,  as  all  loyal  Americans  are  trying,  to  cultivate  a  foreign  trade  both  in 
South  America  and  Europe.  Unless  we  can  have  a  place  where  we  can  store  our 
product  preparatory  to  shipments,  we  could  not  develop  this  trade.  We  have 
magazines  where  we  keep  the  greater  part  of  our  powder.  We  have  a  lighter 
by  which  we  bring  up  our  jwwder  for  shipment  by  steamer,  and  for  the  ordinary 
trade  from  this  port  abroad  we  must  have  the  powder  where  it  is  accessible,  be- 
cause powder  orders  are  just  like  orders  for  fuel  or  other  commodities;  we  must 
be  ready  to  fill  the  orders  when  received. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Your  company  deals  chiefly  in  black  powder  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Only  in  black  powder.  I  will  say,  however,  that  we  are 
interested  in  the  others,  but  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  shipment.  1  am  ad- 
vocating the  matter  of  shipments  of  black  powder,  but  I  notice  in  the  latter 
part  of  your  letter  inviting  me  to  be  present,  you  pay  special  attention  to  the 
matter  of  high  explosives.  I  know  that  in  regard  to  the  barge.  The  Electric, 
which  stores  our  powder,  that  we  always  have  a  very  limited  quantity,  because 
we  are  constantly  replenishing  our  stock  from  the  magazines  which  we  have  on 
the  North  River. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  speak  of  your  magazines.    Where  are  they  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Just  above  Fort  Lee,  in  New  Jersey ;  three-quarters  of  a 
milo. 


16 


Col.  Gillespie.  Near  the  water  front? 

Mr.  Wkightman.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  ( 'oMSTOCK.  Down  on  the  >vater  surface? 

Mr.  Weichtman.  Down  on  the  Palisades.  No  better  place  for  such  a  busi- 
ness could  be  selected.  When  we  bought  it  many  years  ago  wc  looked  ahead  to 
the  growth  and  extension  of  the  business. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  How  do  you  transport  your  powder  to  the  vessels? 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  have  a  sloop  of  our  own.  Wo  always  have  a  man  on 
board  the  barge  on  the  .Tersey  Flats.  The  manner  of  conducting  the  powder 
.  business  has  always  been  the  same.  I  have  been  connected  with  the  company 
since  1862.  We  have  always  had  these  vessels,  but  commerce  has  compelled  us 
to  go  lower  down.  When  we  first  sold  powder  we  would  anchor  where  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Courtlandt  street  ferry  now  is,  but  we  are  now  located  by  the 
Treasury  Department  between  Bedloe's  and  Ellis  Islands  beyond. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  keep  powder  there  for  early  shipment  or  waiting  or- 
ders ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  There  are  times  when  we  can  not  tell  whatwill  be  ordered 
the  next  day,  but  we  only  generally  keep  a  limited  quantity.  Our  quantity  is 
from  1,000  to  1,500  kegs  at  the  anchorage. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  You  have  never  had  more  than  1,500  kegs  there  at  any  one 
time  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Only  in  case  of  a  shipment.  Take  for  instance  when  there 
is  a  fog.  Sailing  vessels  then  can  not  haul  out  until  the  fog  lifts.  As  soon  as 
the  fog  lifts  out  goes  the  vessel,  and  you  must  have  the  powder  there  to  fill  the 
order  or  out  goes  the  vessel  without  it.  When  we  have  not  been  ready  we  have 
lost  shipments. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  has  been  the  maximum  quantity  stored  there  at  any 
one  time  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  should  say  about  2,000  kegs  of  25  pounds  each. 
Col.  Gillespie.  Have  you  ever  used  the  anchorage  as  a  temporary  floating 
magazine  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir;  only  to  meet  an  order  already  received.  We  get 
orders  by  telephone,  but  do  not  know  the  kind  that  is  wanted.  You  have  got  to 
have  it  there,  and  it  may  be  wanted  for  the  next  day,  and  you  must  have  a  small 
supply  there  to  meet  the  demand. 

Col.  Gillespie.  How  much  do  your  permanent  magazines  at  the  Palisades 
contain  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Sometimes  the  quantities  there  are  larger  than  at  other 
times;  sometimes  5,000,  and  sometimes  7,000  or  8,000.  It  depends  upon  what 
we  consider  the  demand  will  be.  We  have  to  bring  the  powder  down  by  rail, 
so  we  can  get  at  it  by  sloop.  The  powder  business  is  one  that  has  grown 
with  this  port.  We  have  a  large  business  which  is  a  benefit  to  the  community 
and  lo  the  United  States,  and  we  employ  many  men,  and  all  that  we  ask  is  that 
we  may  be  enabled  to  have  proper  facilities  in  the  harbor. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  Are  there  any  restrictions  upon  your  movements  of  powder 
down  to  the  Palisades  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  None  whatever.  There  is  no  State  or  city  control  what- 
ever over  the  powder  facilities  up  there. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Any  at  Bedloe's  Island  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir.  That  is  under  the  chargeof  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment, and  we  were  located  there  officially  under  Capt.  Hunker  and  Capt.  Cong- 
don. 

Col.  Gillespie.  That  location  is.only  3  or  4  years  old. 

Mr.  Weightman.  Since  1888. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Prior  to  that  time  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  v/ere  off.  the  Central  Railroad  dock,  and  the  company 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  we  were  so  close,  and  then  the  Government  lo- 
cated us  where  we  are  now. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Prior  to  that  did  you  have  to  consult  any  one  as  to  the  move- 
ment of  your  powder? 

Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir  ;  I  do  not  recall  any  one. 

Col.  Gillespie.  There  are  laws  with  reference  to  its  transportation  by  rail? 

Mr.  Weightman.  They  are  regulations  of  the  State. 

Col.  Gillespie.  But  no  laws  as  to  transportation  of  powder  by  rail  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  No.  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  have  the  powder  transferred  from  your  mills  the  same 
as  you  would  any  other  material  ? 


17 

Mr.  Weightman.  Yes,  sir  ;  precisely  the  same.  It  is  loaded  in  cars  at  our 
mills,  and  I  am  very  happy  to  have  you  ask  these  questions,  as  we  are  more  in- 
terested than  anyone  else  in  having"  the  thing  done  properly.  Our  powder 
comes  to  us  by  rail  into  the  West  Shore  Railroad  at  Weehawken.  transported 
in  our  own  lighter,  and  by  our  own  men.  It  is  taken  to  our  own  magazine  and 
stored  there,  and  is  brought  down  to  the  barges  as  we  require  it.  We  keep 
only  a  limited  supply  there — enough  to  meet  the  demand. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  have  to  load  thelcars  with  gunpowder  only,  and  to  go 
by  special  trains— any  restrictions  y  Have  the  powder  trains  no  distinction 
from  other  trains  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  There  is  a  rule  to  put  the  powder  in  the  middle  of  the  train. 
As  far  as  the  Hazard  Powder  Company  is  concerned  we  ship  very  little  powder 
by  rail  from  the  port  of  New  York.  All  the  cars  with  powder  go  from  our  mills 
at  Hazard ville.  Conn.  All  we  want  is  facilities  to  do  the  business  here  in  the 
port  of  New  York.  What  I  want  you  to  understand  is  that  there  was  a  time 
when  nearly  all  the  powder  had  to  go  directly  from  the  port  of  NeW  York  to  the 
West  because  it  was  shipped  by  canal.  The  risk  is  not  so  great  as  you  gentle- 
men or  the  public  may  suppose.  We  get  the  same  rates  of  freight  from  our 
mills  that  any  other  company  or  anybody  can  get  from  the  port  of  New  York. 

Gen.  Abbot.  There  are  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York  relative  to  the  ship- 
ment of  explosives  by  land.  For  instance,  if  you  ship  from  some  places  named 
without  marking  cases  you  are  guilty  of  criminal  action. 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  do  not  wish  to  put  myself  up  as  an  expert  as  to  what  all 
the  laws  may  be.  I  notice  that  so  far  as  the  State  of 'New  York  is  concerned  we 
comply  with  all  of  them  as  to  the  transportation  of  powder. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  is  the  ratio  of  shipment  by  water  from  here  to  for- 
eign ports  as  compared  to  the  shipment  to  American  ports '?  What  proportion 
of  your  powder  goes  to  foreign  ports  rather  than  to  American  ports  from  this 
harbor 't 

Mr.  Weightman.  That  is  very  small.    Our  export  trade  now  will  increase, 
because  we  are  going  to  push  it. 
Gen.  COMSTOCK.  But  at  present? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  could  not  say.  It  is  about  three-eighths  and  five-eighths. 
Three-eighths  foreign. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  proportion  of  powder  is  handled  in  this  harbor  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  should  say  as  far  as  foreign  ports  are  concerned  it  would 
be  the  reverse. 

Mr.  Greene.  The  amount  of  powder  which  goes  to  foreign  ports  that  is  han- 
dled herein  the  harbor  of  New  York  is  a  small  proportion  of  what  is  handled. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  Your  shipments  are  largely  to  American  ports  and  not  to 
foreigh  ports  from  this  harbor  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  ratio  is  it;  one-tenth  ? 
Mr.  Greene.  It  is  less  than  that. 

Col.  Gillespie.  What  precautions  do  you  take  to  prevent  explosions  of  your 
powder  on  floating  magazines?  Do  you  keep  a  crew  on  board,  and  do  you  have 
regulations  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  The  very  fact  that  the  man  is  there — that  his  own  life  is  at  stake. 
Everything  is  done  that  can  be  done  to  protect  life.  Since  1862,  of  my  own  per- 
sonal knowledge,  this  company  has  never  harmed  the  hair  of  anyone. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Has  your  company  issued  any  special  regulations  to  your  em- 
ployes with  reference  to  the  care  which  they  should  exercise  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  No  special  ones.  Personally  I  go  over  there  every  little  while 
unexpectedly  for  that  purpose.  One  man  lives  there  all  the  time.  That  very 
fact'  would  indicate  that  we  consider  it  requires  care.  The  man  has  his  life  in 
his  hands,  and  he  has  been  in  our  employ  twenty-five  years.  We  have  others 
who  have  care  of  the  powder.  Nothing  could  have  more  scrupulous  care  than 
that  which  we  exercise  in  handling  the  powder,  because  we  are  more  interested 
than  anyone  else  to  prevent  accidents. 

Mr.  Hyndman.  My  interests  are  identically  the  same  as  those  who  have 
spoken. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  is  the  maximum  amount  of  powder  that  you  have 
stored  here  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  About  1,800  kegs  of  25  pounds  each. 
Gen.  CoMSTOCK.  You  have  no  high  explosives  stned  here  ? 
Mr.  Hyndman.  No,  sir ;  don't  handle  them.    Only  common  black  blasting 
powder. 

9017  2 


18 


Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  have  permanent  mag^azincs? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  Yes,  sir ;  the  same  as  the  Hazard  Company.  At  Fort  Lee. 
It  is  close  adjoining  theirs. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Do  the  persons  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  magazines 
make  any  complaint  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  None  whatever. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Are  yoiu-  magazines  removed  from  any  dwelling  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  They  arc.    The  magazines  are  about  a  mile  from  anybody. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  is  the  amount  of  powder  stored  in  your  magazines? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  Never  exceeding  3,000  or  5,000  kegs.  At  the  present  time 
there  is  not  more  than  1,200  kegs  up  there. 

Gen.  Comstock.  What  kind  of  magazine  have  you  ?  What  is  the  nature  of 
the  building  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  It  is  a  brick  building  with  a  tin  roof,  and  iron  doors  outside. 
Gen.  Comstock.  Is  it  exposed  like  any  other  brick  building  ? 
Mr.  Hyndman.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  Abbot.  What  would  be  the  comparative  disadvantages  of  occupying  these 
lower  anchorages  as  indicated  on  this  map  here  V  [Map  contained  in  rules  and 
regulations  relating  to  anchorages  of  vessels  in  port  of  New  York,  Treasury  De- 
partment, 1888,  shown.] 

Mr.  Greene.  My  impression  was  that  that  was  too  much  exposed  in  time  of 
storms  and  rough  weather,  and  particularly  when  ice  was  floating  down  there. 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  I  believe  the  disadvantage  would  be  that  there  would 
be  deep  water,  and  more  danger  of  accidental  coUisicm.  It  is  simply'  intpossible 
at  the  low  anchorages  to  have  accidental  collision.  The  water  is  so  low  that  any 
vessel  of  any  draft  would  ground  before  it  came  to  the  p  jw Jer  barges.  Another 
disadvantage  is  about  small  shipments.  These  go  by  rail  and  would  cause  an 
untold  amount  of  trouble.  All  the  powder  companies  get  orders  to  ship  small 
quantites  of  powder  to  certain  parties  by  certain  railroads,  which  is  done  only 
one  or  two  days  in  a  week,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  make  connections  unless 
the  powder  was  handy  to  New  York.  We  must  keep  up  to  the  regulations  of 
the  freight  companies. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Do  you  speak  of  high  explosives? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  No,  sir ;  black  powder  and  smokeless  powder.  The 
largest  amount  of  powder  we  ever  handle  is  500  kegs  of  50  pounds  each. 

Gen.  Comstock.  That  is  the  largest  amount  you  have  ever  handled  at  Bed- 
loe's  Island  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  Comstock.  How  much  of  black  powder? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Never  more  than  200  kegs. 

Col.  Gillespie.  This  powder  is  manufactured  up  at  Ramapo  and  in  that  vi- 
cinity ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Yes,  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  This  is  your  only  magazine  ? 

Mr.  •Von  Lengercke.  Yes,  sir ;  this  is  our  floating  magazine  from  which  we 
can  ship  quantities.  Smokeless  powder  is  a  new  thing,  and  does  not  go  in  large 
quantities,  it  would  simply  kill  the  business  to  have  the  powder  away  because 
we  could  not  make  connections. 

Col.  GiLLESPiiii.  Your  floating  magazine  is  the  only  magazine  which  you  have 
in  the  State  of  New  York  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Yes,  sir.  I  believe  that  the  record  of  these  magazines 
should  go  a  great  way  in  this  matter.  There  is  no  record  of  any  accident  of  any 
kind,  and  I  believe  the  condition  of  things  up  there  make  the  storage  secure  and 
accidents  impossible. 

Gen.  Abbot.  You  keep  a  man  all  the  time  on  your  boats  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Always. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Have  you  any  special  regulations  for  the  care  which  he  is  to 
exercise  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  One  of  the  firm  inspects  it  regularly,  and  the  man  re- 
ports at  the  office  all  the  time,  and  as  has  been  stated,  these  men  hold  their 
lives  in  their  hands. 

Col.  Gillespie.  And  every  man  is  to  be  the  judge  of  his  own  danger? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  No,  sir;  we  would  look  after  that  of  course.  We  have 
regulations,  but  they  are  not  in  printed  form. 

Gen.  Comstock.  When  the  man  reports  to  the  office  who  takes  care  of  the 
boat? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke,  Thei-e  is  another  man  there.  The  b09.t  is  never  with- 
out a  man  on  it. 


19 


Mr.  Greene.  I  would  like  to  offer  in  advance  a  letter  which  was  written  by 
the  Hazard  Powder  Company,  because  I  think  such  a  condition  of  thing-s  as  he 
presents  would  arise.  It  was  written  by  the  then  president  of  the  company,  who 
is  now  deceased.  He  took  up  the  matter  at  the  time  that  Lieut.  Hunker  was  in 
charge : 

The  Hazard  Powder  Company, 
Manufacturers  of  Gunpowder, 
63  Pine  Street,  New  York,  October  30, 1888. 

Lieut.  J.  J.  Hunker,  TJ.  S.  N., 

In  clianje  of  anckoragc  grounds,  Room  4,  Barge  Office,  New  York: 

.  Dear  Sir:  In  response  to  your  recent  request  that  I  mention  objections,  if 
any,  to  the  anchorage  ground  in  New  York  Harbor  suggestively  designated  by 
you  for  powder  vessels: 

The  ground  thus  allotted  is  on,  or  boarders  on,  areef  or  rocky  ledge  stretching 
southerly  from  Bedloe's  Island,  with  comparatively  little  water  at  best,  and  being 
in  a  strong  tideway  would  certainly  prove  a  dangerous  place  for  anchorage  . 

Again,  the  ebb  and  flow  of  tide  there  and  in  that  vicinity  is  at  all  times  strong, 
and  in  winter  is  flooded  with  river  ice  which  would  remove  or  cut  down  any 
anchored  vessel.  Either  of  these  are  vital  objections,  to  say  nothing  of  the  in- 
accessibility of  the  location  for  daily  commercial  needs. 

The  several  powder  storage  vessels  have  for  many  years  lain  on  the  Jersey 
flats  where  there  is  ample  area  out  of  the  way  of  passing  vessels  on  a  soft  bottom, 
free  from  floating  ice  and  abundantly  remote  from  the  nearest  shore. 

I  hope  for  safety  and  convenience  the  vessels  may  be  permitted  to  remain  on 
the  flats  at  or  near  their  present  anchorage  as  you  may  designate. 
Yours  truly, 

R.  L.  Wheeler,  President. 

Mr.  Greene.  For  these  reasons,  and  partially  from  the  result  of  that  letter, 
the  present  anchorage  of  the  boats  was  designated. 

Mr.  Hamlin.  I  don't  know  that  there  is  anything  I  can  say  about  this  matter 
that  has  not  already  been  covered  by  the  remarks  made  by  the  black-powder 
people. 

Gen.  Abbot.  You  deal  in  Atlas  powder  chiefly? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  We  carry  from  10,00 J  to  15,000  pounds  stock.  The  largest 
amount  that  1  remember  ever  being  over  thero  is  there  now — 15,000  pounds — 
but  there  is  something  like  35,000  pounds  waiting  for  a  vessel.  We  have  no 
other  magazine.    Our  magazine  is  a  floating  one. 

Gen  Abbot.  Where  is  your  powder  manufactured? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  At  Repauno. 

Mr.  Greene.  You  have  dealings  also  with  other  companies  ? 
Mr.  Hamlin.  Yes,  sir ;  the  Atlantic  Dynamite  Company  and  the  Hecla  Pow- 
der Company. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Do  you  represent  those  companies  here  to-day  ? 
Mr.  Hamlin.  No,  sir. 

Mr.  Greene.  There  is  a  relation  b  itween  those  three  companies. 
Gen.  Comstock.  That  45,000  pounds  repres3nts  all  the  powder  there? 
Mr.  Greene.  Yes.  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  How  many  vessels  have  you  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  One,  and  another  little  one  on  which  you  can  carry  1,000  pounds. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Where  do  you  get  your  powder  from  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  The  Pennsylvania  and  the  Jersey  Central  Railroad. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Are  there  any  rostrictions  in  the  transportation  by  rail  ?  Do 
they  require  it  to  be  in  particular  kinds  of  boxes  or  packages,  and  are  there  lim- 
itations in  reference  to  quantity  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  It  comes  in  car  loads  and  less  than  car  loads.  It  is  always 
packed  in  50  or  100  pound  kags. 

Gen.  Comstock.  What  are  the  regulations,  so  far  as  they  afl'ect  you? 

Mr.  Greene.  Nothing,  except  that  the  packages  should  be  marked  "ex- 
plosives," "dangerous."    That  is  the  Massachusetts  law. 

Gen.  Comstock.  And  they  handle  it  just  like  any  other  freight  and  make  no 
distinction  in  the  handling  oi;  it  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  No,  sir  :  except  that  the  Pennsylvania  road  only  allows  you  to 
ship  one  day  in  the  week.  That  is  why  we  are  at  a  disadvantage.  We  can  not 
receive  every  day,  and  as  our  powder  arrives  on  Thursday,  we  must  have  it  on 
stock  here  for  shipment. 


20 


Gen.  Abbot.  Do  I  understand  that  the  Hecla,  the  Dynamite,  and  the  Atlantic 
Companies  have  no  raaffazines  of  their  own  V 
Mr.  Greene.  Yes,  sir. 

C^en.  COMSTOC!K.  What  is  the  object  in  allowing  transportation  only  on  one 
day  in  the  week  ? 

Mr.  Green  JO.  So  they  can  send  it  all  together  in  one  train.  The  idea  of  that 
is  to  go  through  in  one  day,  and  that  would  he  the  end  of  it.  Otherwise,  if  they 
carried  every  day  they  might  (m  some  days  have  only  50  pounds  to  carry.  So 
they  try  to  get  all  there  is  for  the  week  on  one  train. 

Gen.  Abbot.  In  reference  to  your  storage,  could  you  not  occupy  that  lower 
station  there  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  The  difficulty  would  be  on  account  of  the  ice.  We  could  not  use 
that  anchorage  very  well.  Of  course,  if  wo  were  compelled  we  would  have  to. 
Besides  the  ice  trouble  the  location  would  not  be  convenient. 

Gen.  Abbot.  There  is  much  more  danger  in  having  9  tons  of  Atlas  powder 
exp;  sed  than  there  would  be  in  having  'AO  tons  of  gunpowder. 

Mr.  Weightman.  With  all  due  respect  to  high  explosives,  we  do  not  want  to 
suffer  fi"om  any  opinion  which  you  gentlemen  have  with  regard  to  them.  The 
reason  that  letter  was  brought  forward  here  was  that  the  Navy  Department 
at  that  time  investigated  this  very  question,  and  it  was  thought  safe  to  be 
anchored  below  Bedloe  s  Island,  and  the  re.-ultwas  that  we  occupied  the  anchor- 
age, us  we  were  placed  there  by  olticial  authority. 

Another  point  is  that  if  we  arc  placed  below  Bedloe's  Island  it  is  more  open 
and  more  liable  to  accident,  and  on  that  question  I  think  that  if  you  gentlemen 
have  seen  the  present  position  you  can  not  but  feel  that  nature  seems  to  have 
given  it  foi'  this  business.  The  powder  business  is  such  that  we  are  entitled  to 
protection  in  order  that  it  may  be  carried  on  in  this  great  port.  We  employ 
many  men  and  have  agents  all  over  the  country,  otherwise  we  would  be  deprived 
from  doing  business  safely. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Have  any  complaints  been  made  by  the  riparian  owners  along 
the  shore  that  the  powder  barges  at  the  anchorages  were  menacing  them  or  their 
property  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir  ;  never  heard  about  it  at  all  until  it  was  brought 
up  by  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Jersey  City.    They  took  it  before  the  Senate. 
Col.  Gillespie.  How  did  it  originate  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  do  not  know.  It  may  have  been  malice,  but  I  can  not 
say  as  to  its  origin.  There  is  another  point  that  I  wish  you  gentlemen  to  un- 
derstand, and  I  want  to  make  myself  intelligible.  I  want  yon  to  feel  that  we 
have  given  you  all  the  information  we  have.  All  the  powder  companies  have 
their  own  boats  and  their  own  employes.  When  a  shijunent  is  made  it  is  done 
by  a  man  in  the  employ  of  the  Hazard  Powder  Company,  and  we  have  not  a  man 
who  has  not  been  in  our  employ  less  than  twenty  years. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  mean  to  say  that  there  is  no  intermediary  between  the 
point  of  manufacture  and  the  carrying  vessel,  that  the  powder  itself  does  not 
pass  into  the  hands  of  a  middleman  ? 

Mr,  Weightman.  No.  sir  ;  the  business  is  done  by  powder  principals  and  pow^- 
der  employes  and  in  powder  boats.  There  are  no  liner  boats  in  this  harbor  than 
the  boats  used  by  the  Hazard  Company,  the  ro wheats  used  in  the  transporta- 
tion of  its  powder. 

Gen.  Abbot.  On  board  the  barge  of  the  Repauno  Company  has  there  ever  been 
an  accident  ? 
Mr.  Hamlin.  Never. 

Gen.  Abbot.  There  was  a  fire  down  there  in  some  magazine  and  a  large  quan- 
tity of  dynamite  was  burned. 

Mr.  Hamlin.  I  don't  know  anything  about  that.  That  was  on  the  Hecla  boat, 
and  a  large  amount  of  explosive  was  burned  up. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  How  much  was  on  board  ? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  About  19,000  pounds,  I  believe.  # 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  Was  that  at  the  anchorage  ? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  No,  sir;  that  was  near  one  of  the  Central  Railroad  docks,  and 
before  we  were  further  off  the  other  anchorage. 

Mr.  Greene.  I  rather  think  that  was  carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  man  who 
had  a  little  fire  on  board.    There  was  no  explosion  there  at  all. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  do  not  allow  fire  on  board.    Do  you  allow  smoking  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  No,  sir.  We  have  got  to  have  a  stove.  The  man  remains  on 
board  day  and  night,  and  in  the  winter  it  is  imi)ortant  that  the  man  !-hould  be 
warm,  but  he  remains  there.  Our  boat  is  lined  with  zinc,  and  we  use  every  pos- 
sible precaution. 


21 


Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  make  any  special  arrangements  for  the  care  and  stor- 
age of  your  powder  on  board  '? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  Yes.  sir  :  we  have  instructions  that  it  shall  be  stored  in  a  cer- 
tain way.    No  smoking-  can  be  done  on  board  and  only  one  fire  is  allowed. 

Col.  Gillespie.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  regulations  and  instructions  you 
give  to  the  men  with  reference  to  the  care  of  that  property  against  explosions. 
Are  there  any  written  instructions  for  the  employes. 

Mr.  Hyndman.  No.  sir;  no  one  is  allowed  on  board  at  all,  and  the  man  we 
have  there  in  charge  has  been  with  us  since  the  company  started.  Instructions 
at  this  time  would  not  be  of  any  use  for  they  all  read  the  instructions  when  they 
first  went  on  board,  and  know  them  now. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  take  it  for  granted  that  the  man  has  an  appreciation  of 
his  danger,  and  that  he  would  avoid  anything-  that  would  cause  accidents? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  Yes,  sir. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Is  there  anybody  charged  with  seeing  that  they  carry  out  the 
instructions  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  That  boat  has  instructions  periodically. 
Col.  Gillespie.  By  whom? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  By  myself,  and  sometimes  from  Wilmington. 
Col.  Gillespie.  What  do  you  inspect  for  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  To  see  that  there  is  no  debris  that  would  furnish  food  for  fire, 
and  the  general  condition  of  the  boat.  It  must  be  perfectly  clean  ;  no  litter  of 
any  kind  around. 

Gen.  Comstock.  The  storage  rooms  are  lined  with  zinc  ? 

Mr.  Hyndman.  No.  sir;  the  storage  rooms  are  lined  with  wood.  The  ex- 
plosives are  all  packed  in  tiers,  and  in  such  a  way  that  if  the  vessel  should  pos- 
sibly take  fire  there  would  be  a  chance  of  its  burning  up  without  explosion. 

Gen.  Comstock.  What  are  the  packing  cases  made  of  ? 

Mr.  Hyndma'n.  Wood. 

Gen.  Comstock:.  Was  that  dynamite  No.  1  that  burned  up  there  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  There  were  several  grades  of  it.  There  was  600  or  800  pounds, 
I  think,  at  the  time,  of  No.  1  that  burned  and  it  was  sputtering  after  the  water 
got  to  it.  The  Laflin  &  Rand  Company  had  some  10,000  pounds  burned  out  at 
Colorado  where  there  was  no  explosion.  A  man  was  employed  there  in  mixing 
the  medium  with  the  stronger  grade.    I  don't  think  he  was  killed. 

Gen.  Comstock.  What  grade  was  that  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  It  probably  was  an  average  of  40  per  cent. 

Gen.  Abbot.  What  regulations  have  you? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  Strict  verbal  rules  with  regard  to  fire.  Our  storage  depart- 
ment is  separated  from  the  living  department.  The  man  employed  is  an  able 
seaman,  and  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  careful  man. 

G^n.  Abbot.  Don't  you  think  that  being  there  a  long  while,  he  would  get  to 
lose  sight  of  the  danger  of  his  surroundings  and  grow  careless  ? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  No,  sir ;  this  man  is  unusually  careful.  He  has  had  the  same 
kind  of  places  abroad,  and  he  does  not  smoke. 

Gen.  Comstock.  How  much  do  you  have  on  board  ? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  We  carry  on  board  all  the  way  from  10,000  to  15,000  pounds 
of  dynamite. 
Gen.  Comstock.  What  grade? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  Average  about  40  per  cent.  We  always  pack  it  very  loosely, 
and  plan  to  have  a  very  large  space  where  a  man  can  pass  between.  It  is  in  50- 
pound  boxes. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Have  you  a  separate  magazine  from  your  floating  magazine  ? 
Mr.  Van  Tyne.  Only  in  Pennsylvania.    This  one  here  is  used  for  shipments. 
Gen.  Abbot.  Are  there  any  barges  down  there  that  are  not  represented  here 
to-day  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  No.  sir;  I  think  you  have  them  all  here  to-day. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Has  any  complaint  been  made  by  private  parties  on  the  shore  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  None  at  all,  sir.  I  investigated  the  matter  myself  three  or  four 
weeks  ago  to  see  if  there  was  any  such  thing,  and  I  could  not  hear  of  any  com- 
plaint at  all. 

Col.  Gillespie.  How  far  are  you  from  the  shore  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  About  one-half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile. 

Gen.  Abbot.  What  is  the  largest  amount  you  have  had  there  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  20,000  pounds,  but  only  for  a  few  days. 

Gen.  Comstoc.:.  What  would  be  the  average  amount? 

Mr.  Greene.  About  12,000  or  15,000  pounds. 


22 


Gen.  Abbot.  What  is  the  amount  of  the  average  storage  of  the  Repauno 
works  ? 

Mr.  Hamlin.  We  very  seldom  have  over  20,000  pounds.    We  happen  to  have 
that  much  now  because  we  are  waiting-  for  vessels. 
Col.  Gillespie.  Do  the  railroad  companies  impose  any  restrictions  ? 
Mr.  Van  Tvne.  None  whatever. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  have  to  put  up  any  insurance  for  transportation  at 
the  cars  ? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  The  only  insurance  I  know  of  was  the  regular  marine  insur- 
ance, and  there  was  a  case  where  it  was  to  he  increased  or  cancelled  if  we  went 
into  the  roadway,  on  account  of  danger  from  the  ice. 

Col.  Gillespie.  You  insure  your  barges  and  floating  magazines  ? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  Yes,  sir;  marine  insurance. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  That  does  not  include  loss  by  fire  or  explosion? 

Mr.  Greene.  I  should  not  expect  to  collect  anything  if  there  was  an  explo- 
sion, but  if  I  could  prove  that  the  ice  caused  the  explosion  I  should  put  in  a 
claim. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  would  be  the  effect  of  an  explosion  of  500  tons  of  gun- 
powder on  houses  half  a  milp  away  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  I  should  very  much  prefer  to  leave  that  to  the  judgment  of 
engineers  of  the  Army.  I  have  seen  explosions  of  more  or  less  quantities  at 
powder  mills.  I  should  not  expect  that  the  windows  half  a  mile  away  would  all 
be  broken  or  that  everything  would  be  raised  from  the  ground.  I  don't  think 
it  would  be  as  bad  as  that. 

Mr.  Detmold.  I  took  a  London  expert  over  the  anchorage,  and  he  said  it  was 
the  best  he  ever  saw  in  the  world.  He  said  that  in  the  event  of  an  explosion 
there,  the  vast  expanse  of  water  would  act  as  a  cushion,  and  that  the  force  would 
be  broken  so  as  to  be  one-third  less  in  its  effect  than  if  the  explosion  occurred  on 
adjoining  ground.  He  said  that  wave  action  took  place,  and  that-the  gases,  etc., 
concentrated  upward  instead  of  rolling  on  the  ground.  He  thought  the  place 
was  perfectly  secure.  I  asked  how  it  would  be  in  case  it  all  went  up  at  once. 
He  said  it  would  be  three  times  as  great  as  anywhere  else  in  the  ground. 

Col.  Gillespie.  What  are  the  special  advantages  of  that  ground  to  you  ? 

Mr.  Detmold.  The  water  itself  and  the  distance  removed  from  land.  In 
London  they  have  floating  magazines  on  the  Thames,  but  the  habitations  are  so 
much  nearer  that  they  can  throw  a  stoae  from  the  floating  magazine  to  the  shore. 
Here  it  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  shore. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Do  you  insure  the  lives  of  your  employes  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  No,  sir. 

Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  No  special  insurance  on  account  of  the  danger? 
Mr.  Weightman.  No,  sir. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Is  there  anyone  here  who  does? 
There  was  no  response. 

Gen.  CoMSTOCK.  Does  any  gentleman  here  know  of  the  effect  of  an  explosion 
of  200  or  300  tons  of  high  explosives  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  I  have  never  heard  of  the  explosion  of  such  large  quantities. 
What  I  learn  is  from  hearsay,  but  we  have  had  a  large  explosion  of  nitro-glycerin 
at  Thompson's  Point. 

Mr.  Weightman.  There  was  an  explosion  of  a  carload  on  the  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  and  Pacific  Railroad,  but  at  that  time  we  shipped  powder  in  wooden  kegs; 
metal  cases  were  used  very  little."^  It  was  a  fact  that  a  portion  of  the  kegs  that 
were  in  that  car  reached  their  destination,  and  we  wei'e  so  much  interested  in 
the  result  of  the  explosion  to  show  what  could  possibly  be  done  on  the  railroad 
that  we  sent  them  two  of  those  empty  kegs,  and  for  a  long  time  we  had  one  of 
those  wooden  kegs  which  had  a  scratch  on  one  end,  in  ourotfice.  Thiif  took  place 
at  Hand,  Mich.  We  got  a  gentleman  to  go  out  there  and  look  into  it.  We 
wanted  to  see  what  had  been  done,  and  whether  the  c;)mpany  would  sue  us  for 
damages.  We  found  that  it  did  no  damage,  and  sinoe  that  time  the  Wabash 
Company  paid  us  for  that  powder.  It  was  in  the  train,  and  it  was  damaged  through 
the  carelessness  of  some  of  the  train  hands.  There  was  no  damage  whatever 
done  to  lives  or  property  or  anything  of  that  kind,  and  no  claim  has  ever  been 
made.    That  was  within  a  year. 

Gen.  CoMSTOCK.  Is  there  any  gentleman  present  who  has  seen  an  explosion  of 
high  explosives  ? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  I  can  give  an  account  of  an  explosion  of  2,000  pounds  of  nitro- 
glycerine.   It  did  not  destroy  a  frail  building  not  over  150  feet  away.    That  was 


23 


at  Bay  Chester,  on  the  Sound.    It  merely  tore  up  the  earth  some.    It  was  in  a 
building,  and  trees  that  were  about  100  feet  away  were  simply  scratched  at  the 
upper  part,  the  hig-h  trees. 
Col.  Gillespie.  What  kind  of  a  building  was  it? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  A  common  frame  building.  Buildings  not  150  feet  away  were 
not  seriously  injured  ;  only  by  some  of  the  pieces  of  metal  flying  around. 

Mr.  Greene.  The  efiects  are  various.  I  have  seen  kegs  of  powder  explode, 
and  the  force  was  tremendous,  yet  buildings  150  feet  away  were  very  little  in- 
jured :  just  smashed  in  the  sid::  a  little.  The  AmericanFowder  Mills  had  their 
mills  struck  by  lightning,  and  a  building  w^hich  stood  within  300  feet  of  it  had 
not  a  glass  broken.  Men  who  were  sleeping  three-quarters  of  a  mile  away  were 
not  awakened. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  You  would  feel  perfectly  safe  in  a  building  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  away  ? 
Mr.  Greene.  I  should  not  select  that  for  a  residence. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Capt.  Congdon,  have  you  any  questions  to  ask  which  would 
throw  light  on  this  matter  y 

Capt.  Congdon.  There  is  one  subject  that  has  been  spoken  of  here  ;  the  burn- 
ing of  the  boat  loaded  with  dynamite ;  not  even  the  daily  papers  were  aware 
of  the  fact.  A  person  told  me  that  he  left  his  vessel  and  called  out  to  the  crews 
on  the  other  powder  boats,  expecting  to  see  the  whole  thing  blown  up,  yet  this 
matter  made  t-o  little  notice  that  the  daily  papers  did  not  mention  it.  There  is 
another  question  that  has  come  up  here.  The  watchmen  state  that  they  go  to 
their  offices  to  report.  Where  there  is  more  than  one  watchman  on  board  there 
is  some  one  on  board  when  he  goes.  But  when  there  is  only  one  watchman,  what 
is  to  prevent  one  of  the  pirates  which  travel  the  Jersey  shore  from  going  on  board 
during  his  absence  and  blowing  the  vessel  up? 

Mr.  Weightman.  The  Hazard  Powder  Company  has  some  one  on  board  their 
targes  all  the  time,  and  they  are  built  specially  for  the  storage  of  powder. 

Col.  Gillispie.  Are  there  any  other  permanent  magazines  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  except  at  the  Palisades  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  The  Laftlin  &  Rand  Company  has  one  about  16  miles  up  the 
river,  under  the  Palisades, 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  I  would  like  to  get  your  idea  as  to  what  would  be  a  safe  dis- 
tance, so  far  as  the  danger  to  life  is  concerned,  in  the  case  of  an  explosion  of  one 
or  two  tons  of  gunpowder  ? 

Mr.  Greene.  That  is  hard  to  say.  We  none  of  us  know  of  such  a  large  explo- 
sion, and  can  not  therefore  sp-ak  of  the  effect.  I  really  do  not  believe  that  one  man 
has  lost  his  life  w^ho  was  half  a  mile  away,  unless  it  was  from  debris  coming  down. 

Mr.  Detmold.  T  know  of  men  who  have  been  within  100  yards  of  dynamite 
explosion  and  they  were  not  hurt  in  the  least.  That  was  at  Binghamton,  when 
there  was  an  explosion  there.  There  were  some  men,  personal  acquaintances 
of  mine,  who  were  within  10*)  yards  who  were  not  hurt. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  You  would  not  take  that  as  a  safe  example.  What  would  be 
a  safe  distance  ? 

Mr.  Detmold.  I  believe  600  feet  would  be  safe,  unless  a  man  was  struck  by 
flying  bricks  or  metal.  I  don't  think  that  the  air  pressure  would  kill  or  injure 
within  100  or  200  yards  from  the  explosion  unless  the  person  was  struck  by  flying 
fragments. 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  only  know  from  what  happens  through  the  manufac- 
ture of  powder.  I  was  at  our  mills  on  Tuesday  last.  At  one  of  our  engine  works 
we  had  an  explosion,  and  I  took  occasion  then  to  look  about  and  see  what  had 
happened.  That  mill  had  gone  up  with  some  100  pounds  in  it.  Not  far  from  it 
was  our  brimstone  and  saltpetre  works.  There  were  no  fences  whatever  be- 
tween, but  no  harm  was  done.  The  men,  as  you  may  know,  start  the  mill  and 
leave  it.  They  are  not  there  all  the  time  that  the  powder  is  being  made.  The 
only  danger  is  when  the  men  start  the  charge  or  take  it  otT. 

Gen.  COMSTOCK.  Do  they  leave  the  mill  for  the  s^ake  of  safety? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Yes,  sir.  In  the  manufactory  of  the  Hazard  Powder  Com- 
pany I  can  say  to  you  officially  that  for  sixteen  years  we  have  not  killed  a  man 
at  our  works. 

Col.  Gillespie.  I  understand  all  the  gentlemen  present  to  say  that  no  com- 
plaints have  ever  been  made  in  any  way. 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  can  say  very  frankly  that  nothing  has  ever  come  to  us 
direct. 

Mr.  Greene.  The  papers  have  had  something  to  say  about  it,  but  we  have 
had  nothing  individually. 


24 


Mr.  Van  Tyne.  In  my  investigation  around  the  shore  there,  it  was  a  matter 
of  general  comment  as  to  where  that  complaint  could  come  from. 
Gen.  COMSTOCK.  What  was  its  origin? 

Mr.  Van  Tyne.  We  can  not  imagine  the  origin.    The  people  along  the  shore 
had  no  complaint  to  make,  and  they  say  there  is  no  cause  for  complaint. 
Gen.  Abbot.  Can  you  take  us  ovo*  next  Monday  to  look  at  the  site? 
Capt.  CONGDON.  Yes,  sir. 

The  public  meeting  was  then  closed  (1:20  p.  m.). 


0. 

Record  of  'proceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Engineers  held  June 
13,  1892,  embracing  an  inspection  of  the  barges  containing  powder  and 
high  explosives  anchored  near  Ellis  and  Bedloe's  Island,  in  the  harbor  of 
Neiv  York. 

The  Board  met  at  12:45  p.  m.,  pursuant  to  adjournment. 

Present:  Cols.  Abbot  and  Comstock  and  Lieut.  Col.  Gillespie. 

The  Board  boarded  the  U.  S.  Revenue  Steamer  Manhattan^  at  the  United 
States  Barge  Office  dock,  Mr.  Stone  being  in  attendance,  and  at  1  p.  m.  left  the 
eity,  arriving  !at  the  dock  at  Communipaw  at  1:15  p.  m.  From  this  point  the 
Board  took  a  row-boat,  and  in  company  with  Capt.  J.  W.Congdon,  commanding 
the  Manhattan,  proceeded  to  inspect  the  powdef  barges  in  the  anchorage  grounds 
in  the  following  order: 

1.  The  V.  L.  Detmold,  of  New  York  (firm  of  Von  Lengercke  &  Detmold),  had 
50  cases  of  black  and  smokeless  powder  on  board — a  very  small  proportion  of 
black  powder — the  cases  holding  about  50  pounds  each.  The  only  regulation 
displayed  was  a  sign  :  "  Notice — Smoking  strictly  prohibited  in  any  part  of  this 
boat,"  The  man  in  charge  has  his  family  on  board — wife  and  three  boys,  two 
of  whom  attend  school.  He  understands  the  rules  to  be,  not  to  use  any  light 
or  fire  where  the  powder  is.  All  the  cases  are  handled  by  hand  and  always  dur- 
ing the  daytime.  Was  in  charge  of  the  boat  when  it  belonged  to  a  boat  specu- 
lator named  Hammill,  about  six  months,  and  since  then,  about  two  years,  for  the 
firm.  Never  leaves  the  anchorage  except  occasionally  to  get  alongside  a  ship, 
when  a  tug  is  employed.  Practically  the  anchorage  has  not  been  changed  for 
two  years.  There  may  be  a  slight  change  of  a  few  fathoms  when  her  anchor  is 
lifted.  Has  no  rules  about  matches.  Must  use  them.  Does  not  carry  them  in 
his  pocket.  When  he  goes  to  the  office  to  report  there  is  no  one  but  his  wife  on 
board.  Has  good  watch  dog,  who  would  keep  off  intruders.  No  visitors  are  al- 
lowed, although  he  says  he  would  not  stop  people  from  coming  on  board.  All 
the  powder  is  stored  in  the  hold  forward.  The  largest  amount  at  any  one  time 
aboard  is  400  cases,  but  this  does  not  remain  above  three  or  four  days. 

2.  PalinuTUS  (High  Explosive  Company).  This  is  an  old  hulk  of  a  Government 
survey  boat.  A  heap  of  rope  and  rags  and  several  pots  and  pails  of  paint  and 
oil  were  found  on  board  in  the  same  compartment  with  the  explosive.  Mr.  Van 
Tyne  said  that  the  hulk  was  being  repaired  and  repainted,  and  that  the  paiht 
and  pots  would  be  removed  in  a  few  days.  In  the  cabin,  separated  from  the 
compartment  where  the  explosive  is  stored  only  by  board  partition,  a  lamp 
filled  with  kerosene  was  found  standing  on  the  table.  The  vessel  has  a  steel 
frame  all  the  way  through.    There  is  nothing  but  dynamite  on  board. 

There  are  457  cases,  50  pounds  to  the  case,  but  120  of  these  are  to  be  shipped 
to-morrow  morning.  The  kitchen  has  a  cooking  stove  with  sheet  iron  on  fioor 
and  woodwork  about  it.  Fire  is  said  to  be  used  at  meal  times  only.  Only  a  man 
and  his  wife  are  on  board.  An  additional  man  is  now  temporarily  employed  on 
account  of  the  illness  of  the  regular  watchman.  There  are  two  cables  and  large 
anchors :  one  is  buoyed  off,  and  in  case  of  a  storm  the  other  is  put  on.  The 
boat  is  strong  and  can  ride  in  any  storm.  She  is  perfectly  sound  and  has  been 
lying  in  her  present  location  since  last  September.    She  has  not  moved  at  all. 

3.  The  iif.ssic  (Repauno  Chemical  Company).  Has  between  400  and  500 cases 
of  Atlas  powder  on  board,  50  pounds  to  the  case.  The  hold  was  examined  and 
the  sizes  of  the  boxes  was  found  to  vary.  Within  sight  were  8  cases  of  100  pounds 
to  the  case.  There  were  also  some  oblong-shaped  boxes  ;  these  the  watchman  said 
did  not  belong  to  the  company  but  to  W.  R.  Grace.    They  were  marked  '  'Callao,'* 


25 


and  were  said  to  contain  "^^tna'"  powder.  The  general  store  on  board  is  from 
250  to  300  cases  of  50  poands  each.  On  the  deck,  covered  with  a  tarpaulin,  with 
one  end  exposed,  were  45  cases  of  Atlas  powder  of  50  pounds  each.  The  man 
said  that  they  were  to  be  shipped  this  morning",  but  that  the  vessel  had.  not  ar- 
rived. Between  the  hold  where  the  powder  is  stored  and  the  kitchen  there  is 
only  a  thin  wooden  partition. 

An  ordinary  kitchen  stove  is  used  for  cooking.  There  are  two  men  on  board  ; 
the  boat  is  never  alone.  Sometimes  there  are  orders  for  1.000  cases,  but  they 
are  left  on  shore  until  such  an  order  comes.  The  man  has  been  on  board  since 
18.S1.  The  heaviest  shipments  are  made  to  South  and  Central  American  ports. 
The  greatest  amount  is  used  for  the  home  market.  Has  never  had  an  accident 
on  board.  At  the  time  of  the  burning  of  the  powder  boat  recently  in  the  vicin- 
ity, neither  his  nor  any  of  the  other  powder  boats  were  moved.  Has  no  rules 
or  regulations  except  that  no  smoking  or  drinking  is  allowed.  Visitors  never 
come  aboard.  Has  t  .vo  anchors,  one  550  and  the  other  350  pounds  weight.  There 
is  a  30-fathom  chain  on  each.    Neither  ever  broke  adrift. 

4.  The  Joseph  \V .  Fuller  (l.9,^m  &  Rand  Powder  Company).  Has  from  10,000 
to  15,000  kegs  of  powder  on  board,  of  25  pounds  each.  This  is  common  blast- 
ing powder,  some  packed  in  iron  and  some  in  wood.  Handles  neither  dyna- 
mite nor  other  high  explosives.  Is  unusually  full  now  on  account  of  having  just 
unloaded  two  boats  and  waiting  to  ship.  Waiting  for  a  vessel  to  take  1,000  kegs 
to  Valparaiso.  Has  to  wait  for  the  tides,  as  the  water  is  very  low  there.  Has 
two  sloops  which  go  back  and  forward.  Does  a  heavy  trade  in  Pennsylvania  in 
the  mining,  coal,  and  iron  regions.  Ship  most  everywhere  East  and  West  and 
South,  and  as  far  as  New  Mexico.  The  powder  is  bi-ought  here  from  their  mills 
because  in  making  shipments  an  assortment  of  grades  is  required.  Where  a 
large  order  of  any  one  grade  is  received,  it  is  shipped  direct  from  their  mills. 

Each  mill  makes  a  dilTerent  grade.  They  have  a  mill  at  Rondout  and  one  at 
Schaghticoke ;  have  a  magazine  at  the  Palisades  opposite  Fort  Lee.  The  Haz- 
ard and  Du  Pont  companies  also  have  magazines  at  Fort  Lee,  but  they  can  get 
to  their  magazines  :  tliis  company  can  not.  His  barge  remains  here  all  the  time 
and  he  has  been  in  charge  twelve  years.  Always  three  persons  on  board.  He 
goes  to  the  olhce  for  his  orders  daily  and  then  returns.  He  is  always  on  board 
four  or  five  hours  a  day.  Six  people  in  all  on  board,  and  they  all  sleep  there. 
There  is  a  pilot  house:  two  anchors,  one  1,80)  pounds  and  the  other  half  that 
weight.  Powder  is  stored  in  the  hold  and  in  deck  compartment.  Cabin,  living 
room,  and  kitchen  on  one  end. 

Cooking  stove  rests  on  zinc.  Two  partitions  between  kitchen  and  deck  store- 
room. There  are  four  sleeping  bunks  in  the  pilot  house.  There  is  an  office  in 
the  living  room.  There  is  an  airhole  in  the  partition  separating  living  rooms 
and  the  deck  storeroom  covered  with  gauze,  but  no  door.  Has  rules,  but  not 
printed  ones.  Has  none  but  sober  men  on  board.  No  smoking  and  fire  of  any 
kind  except  for  cooking  is  allowed,  except  in  cold  weather.  Any  man  found 
misconducting  himself  is  immediately  discharged.  The  men  who  are  now  with 
him  had  been  in  the  company's  employ  for  a  long  while  and  have  families. 
There  is  never  any  night  work.    Has  never  had  an  accident  of  any  kind. 

5.  The  Electric  of  New  York.  (Hazard  Powder  Company.)  The  storeroom  on 
deck  and  the  kitchen  has  two  partitions  a  foot  apart,  the  cooking  end  being 
lined  with  sheet  iron  on  side  and  fioor.  No  door  communicates  with  powder 
compartment.  Man  has  been  in  charge  twenty-five  years.  There  is  on  board 
1,200  kegs,  25  pounds  each,  of  rifle  powder.  Watchman  lives  on  board.  Two 
men  come  on  board  every  morning  and  assist  in  delivering.  Has  never  left  the 
boat  alone.  Nothing  but  black  powder  aboard  ;  all  stored  on  deck  and  in  hold. 
Is  married  but  does  not  keep  his  wife  on  board.  Says  the  company  objects  on 
the  ground  that  women  are  not  so  careful  a-^  men. 

6.  The  Sally  and  ISojjIu'e.  (E.  I.  Du  Pout,  Do  Nemours  &  Co.)  This  is  a 
schooner  ;  the  others,  except  the  Palimirusheing  barges,  has  an  average  of  1,000 
kegs  of  black  powder  of  25  pounds  to  the  keg  on  board.  Has  also  cartridge  shells 
(small  arms)  on  board.  All  powder  is  stored  under  the  deck  in  the  hold,  loaded 
fore  and  aft,  the  loaded  shells  being  between  the  powders.  The  cabin  has  a  sin- 
gle bulkhead,  and  the  stove  is  protected  with  a  narrow  strip  of  zinc  3  inches 
from  bulkhead  and  a  small  piece  on  floor.  The  watchman  has  been  in  the  busi- 
ness thirty-one  years  and  has  never  had  an  accident.  Ice  gives  some  trouble  in 
the  winter.  Has  two  anchors.  Never  has  had  collisions  from  other  vessels. 
There  is  never  over  18  inches  of  water  at  low  tide.  The  vessel  is  over  forty  years 
old.  Three  men  on  board.  There  is  always  one  man  on  board  night  and  day. 
This  is  the  vessel  nearest  to  Ellis  Island,  about  400  yards.  Has  been  anchored 
about  in  the  same  spot  about  seven  years. 


26 


Tho  powder  is  loaded  from  the  Jersey  Central  Railroad  decks  atCommuni- 
paw.  Nobody  has  ever  made  complaint  to  him  that  the  vessel  is  dang-erous  to 
life  or  property.  Each  of  the  powder  barges  keeps  its  own  anchorag-e.  Has  not 
a  very  definite  idea  as  to  the  other  barges.  Knows  of  the  two  barges  to  his 
rijjht,  but  the  others  are  strangers  to  him.  They  are  all,  however,  in  sight  of 
each  other,  and  knows  of  no  others  than  those  in  sight  now.  They  are  perma- 
nent. Says  that  the  Government  survey  officers  located  him  within  50  yards 
of  where  he  is  now,  and  also  located  the  others.  At  high  water  there  is 
never  more  than  8  feet.  When  asked  what  he  would  do  if  some  other  vessels 
should  occupy  his  ground,  he  replied  that  he  would  take  that  vessel's  ground  for 
the  time  being.  He  says  that  that  does  not  happen,  as  they  are  bound  to  keep 
a  certain  distance  apart.  Their  anchors  hold  them,  and  they  are  to  heavy  to 
allow  dragging. 

Capt.  Congdon  stated  that  the  space  between  the  Communipaw  docks  and 
powder  barges  is  often  thickly  occupied  by  vessels,  especially  in  wint  time, 
when  one  man  has  charge  of  several  of  them — there  is  no  regulation  to  prevent 
such  vessels  from  anchoring  among  the  powder  barges  if  they  should  elect  so  to 
do. 

The  Board  then  returned  to  New  York  City  on  the  Manhattan,  arriving  there 
at  3  p.  m.,  and  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  president. 

Henry  L.  Abbot, 
Colonel  of  JSnyimers,  Bvt,  Brig.  Gen.,  U.  8.  A.,  Fresident  of  tlie  Board, 


D. 

Transcript  of  stenographer's  notes  of  a  public  hearing  of  the  Board  of  En- 
gineers held  in  the  Army  Buildiiig^  New  Yorlc  City,  July  14,  1892,  in 
the  matter  of  complaints  relative  to  the  storage  of  high  explosives  in 
barges  at  the  anchorage  grounds  near  Ellis  and  Bedloe's  Islands,  New 
Yorh  Harbor, 

Present :  Cols.  Abbot  and  Houston  and  Lieut.  Col.  Gillespie,  Mr.  Jay  Stone, 
chief  clerk  and  stenographer,  Mr.  P.  F.  Wanser,  mayor  of  Jersey  City,  W.  D. 
Edwards,  citv  attorney  of  Jersey  City  ;  Joseph  A.  Dear,  president  Board  of  Trade 
of  Jersey  City ;  W.  J.  Tate,  secretary  Board  of  Trade  of  Jersey  City  ;  Jacob  Ringle, 
J.  E.  Banks,  H.  W.  Carr,  members  of  Board  of  Trade,  Jersey  City ;  A.  J.  Cor- 
coran, manufacturer,  Jersey  City  ;  George  Weightman,  Hazard  Powder  Com- 
pan}^ ;  Arthur  Hyndman,  of  E.  1.  Du  Pont,  De  Nemours  &  Co.;  Capt.  A.  W. 
Money,  E.  C.  Powder  Company  :  Detmold  &  Van  Langercke,  powder  dealers. 

Gen.  Abbot.  The  meeting  will  come  to  order.  This  meeting  has  been  called 
in  consequence  of  the  receipt  of  certain  communications  which  I  will  indicate. 
The  first  is  a  paper  addressed  to  the  Treasury  Department  dated  June  1, 1892, 
by  the  Board  of  Trade.  That  was  simply  inviting  attention  to  the  danger  to  the 
public  which  might  result  from  the  storage  of  large  quantities  of  powder,  and 
particularly  high  explosives  at  the  anchorage  off  Communipaw  Point.  The 
action  on  that  was  the  following  letter  addressed  by  the  Treasury  Department 
to  the  Secretary  of  War,  dated  June  1,  1892 : 

"  I  have  respectfully  to  state  that  complaints  have  been  made  to  this  Depart- 
ment that  the  large  quantity  of  explosive  materials  stored  in  the  barges  anchored 
in  the  vicinity  of  Ellis  Island  and  Bedloe's  Island  is  a  constant  menace  to  the 
lives  and  property  of  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey  located  near  that  point. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  request  that  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  there 
are  good  grounds  for  the  complaints  that  a  Board,  to  be  composed  of  officers  of 
the  Army,  be  designated  to  examine  into  the  matter  and  report  whether  in  their 
opinion  the  present  anchorage  near  the  islands  mentioned  for  vessels  and  barges 
with  explosives  stored  on  board  is,  as  claimed,  a  menac3  to  the  lives  and  prop- 
erty of  the  citizens  referred  to. 

"Ca])t.  J.  W.  Congdon,  commanding  the  Revenue  St3amer  Manhattan,  which 
vessel  is  on  anchorage  duty  at  the  port  of  New  York,  will  be  instructed  to  con- 
vey the  board  to  such  points  as  they  may  desire  to  visit,  upon  application.  Capt. 
Congdon  has  been  engaged  upon  this  special  work  for  some  time,  and  is  well 
informed  upon  the  subject  and  may  be  able  to  assist  the  Board  in  their  labors." 


27 


That  document  was  referred  to  the  Engineer  Department  and  was  returned 
under  date  of  June  2,  1892,  with  the  following  indorsement: 

"  Respjctfully  returned  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  recommending  that  this 
paper  be  referred  by  me  to  the  Board  of  Engineers  for  examination  and  report. 

Thos.  Lincoln  Casey, 
^^Briy.  Gen. ,  Chief  of  Engineers.''^ 

The  War  Department  on  June  4,  1892,  took  action  approving  this  -recommen- 
dation, and  the  matter  was  therefore  sent  to  our  Board. 

We  have  received  and  have  on  hand  all  the  information  possessed  by  the 
Treasury  Depariment  about  the  conditions  which  govern  the  anchorage  grounds, 
and  also  the  history  of  it.  We  made  a  personal  inspection  of  all  the  powder 
barges  so  as  to  form  a  clear  idea,  and  this  meeeting  is  called  with  a  view  to  get- 
ting a  full  statement  of  any  facts  which  either  side  may  think  should  be  brought 
to  the  notice  of  the  Board  before  making  our  decision.  We  will  be  glad  to  hear 
from  the  representatives  of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Jersey  City.  We  have  here  a 
map  showing  the  location  of  the  anchorage  grounds  marked  in  blue,  which  is 
subject  to  the  examination  of  those  present. 

Mr.  Dear.  I  wish  to  say  that  we  feel  at  a  disadvantage  in  appearing  before  you 
this  morning,  b^icause  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  contribute  any  exact  information 
to  this  Board  which  they  could  make  the  basis  of  any  decision.  We  know  that 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  shores  of  a  portion  of  Jersey  City  a  comparatively 
largvi  number  of  barges  are  anchored,  containing  very  great  quantities  of  explo- 
sives. Thoy  receive,  they  transship,  they  load,  and  they  unload.  On  those  barges 
people  live  and  have  their  families.  Their  cooking  operations  are  done  there, 
and  in  winter  they  require  warmth.  They  always  have  fire  aboard.  We  feel 
that  all  this  is  a  source  of  great  risk  to  the  property  in  Jersey  City  lying  contigu- 
ous to  the  barges.  It  has  still  more  gravity  from  the  fact  that  within  a  short 
distance  from  this  an(;hoi  age  are  theyairds  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  where 
large  quantities  of  petroleum,  raw  and  refined,  ai  e  stored. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Can  you  point  out  on  this  map  where  it  is  stored? 

Mr.  Dear.  Here  at  Cavan  Point,  between  this  place  [pointing]  and  the  docks 
of  the  National  Storage  Company,  are  thirteen  oil  tanks.  There  are  a  great 
many  of  them  all  around  there,  and  they  are  being  constantly  added  to.  We 
feel  that  there  are  three  sources  of  danger  coming  from  that  storage  there. 
First,  the  direct  danger  to  property  arising  from  the  possibility  of  explosion. 
I  have  had  a  little  experience  of  that  in  Jersey  City.  Some  years  ago  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  were  constructing  a  tunnel.  On  the  side 
of  a  hill  they  had  put  a  ton  of  explosive  matter.  One  Saturday  evening  it  went  off 
and  broke  the  windows  in  hundreds  of  houses  in  the  lower  part  of  Jersey  City, 
and  right  across  in  New  York  City  it  also  did  some  damage.  In  that  case  Jersey 
City  was  protected  by  the  hill,  but  New  York  houses  received  the  full  force  of 
the  explosion. 

Gen.  ABfiOT.  I  would  be  glad  to  have  some  facts  with  reference  to  that^explo- 
sion.  Can  you  inform  me  as  to  the  extent  of  that  accident  V  It  took  place  be- 
fore the  Hallets  Point  explosion.  If  you  have  any  of  the  details  I  would  like  to 
have  them. 

Mr.  Edwards.  It  was  the  subject  of  a  very  extended  litigation  in  our  city. 
I  think  I  can  get  you  the  information  on  the  subject.  The  hies  of  the  newspa- 
pers and  the  findings  of  the  court  will  give  it.  There  was  a  suit  brought  in  the 
case  of  the  contractor. 

Mr.  Dear.  Besides  the  accident  I  referred  to,  the  recent  explosion  at  Oak- 
land did  great  damage  in  San  Francisco,  15  miles  oft".  That  took  place  last 
Saturday.  There  is  another  source  of  danger  that  was  illustrated  most  signally 
in  an  explosion  that  took  place  some  three  years  ago  in  Scotland.  At  one  of  the 
quarries  there,  the  company  were  desirous  of  dislodging  a  great  ledge  of  rock. 
They  used  about  30  or  40  tons  of  giant  powder  for  the  purpose.  It  was  expected 
to  be  an  enormous  explosion  and  expected  to  be  a  great  Spectacle,  like  the  blow- 
ing up  at  Hell  Gate.  Excursions  were  made  to  see  it,  and  some  of  the  favored 
ones  had  gotten  on  board  of  a  boat  chartered  by  the  contractors.  It  was  a  great 
success,  but  not  so  much  of  a  spectacle  as  was  expected. 

Everybody  was  anxious  to  see  the  effects  of  the  explosion,  and  about  two  hours 
afterwards  the  party  on  the  boat  landed  and  over  thirteen  persons  were  killed  by 
the  deadly  gases  that  remained  in  that  quarry  and  in  the  valley  in  which  the 
explosion  took  place.  Over  ninety-six  people,  as  I  understand  it,  were  rendered 
insensible.    The  party  incautiously  went  there  too  soon.    Here  is  a  new  danger, 


28 


something  that  was  not  known  of  with  the  ordinary  gunpowder  that  was  used. 
These  and  the  new  explosives  generate  deadly  gases,  and  there  could  not  be  an 
explosion  of  the  great  quantities  of  explosives  stored  at  the  anchorage  without  • 
deadly  effects  from  that  cause.    Add  to  this  the  danger  which  they  present  to 
the  enormous  establishment  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company. 

All  along  that  shore  from  here  to  Constable  Hook  it  is  possible  to  have  a  rag- 
ing sea  of  flame  as  a  result  of  an  explosion  which  would  destroy  thos3  works. 
We  had  an  explosion  of  one  of  those  tanks  in  Jersey  City.  The  fire  department 
was  called  out  and  lives  were  lost.  They  eventually  were  able  to  confine  the 
explosion  to  the  tank,  but  imagine  an  explosion  of  the  great  number  of  tanks 
which  will  b3  there  in  three  or  four  years.  It  would  rival  the  scenes  which  re- 
sulted from  the  flood  and  fire  in  Oil  City  a  few  weeks  ago,  when  a  raging  str'eam 
of  fire  came  down  the  water,  caused  by  the  accidental  overturning  of  an  oil 
tank.  We  feel  that  it  is  a  serious  danger  to  Jersey  City.  Of  course  wo  feel  that 
this  danger  ought  to  bo  removed. 

Now,  the  question  comes,  what  should  be  expected  of  the  Board  ?  We  ask  you 
to  insist  upon  its  removal,  and  its  removal  to  a  safe  and  proper  anchorage  in  the 
Lower  Bay,  where  it  would  b3  far  enough  from  habitations  and  pi'Oi)ei'ty,  and 
where  the  nature  of  the  anchorage  would  permit  these  vessels  to  lie  in  safety. 
I  believe  such  points  can  be  found  in  the  Lower  Bay  and  on  the  Raritan.  Ceiv 
tainly  that  locality  would  not  be  open  to  anything  like  the  objection  that  is  now 
made  or  can  now  be  made  against  the  crowding  together  of  such  enormous 
amounts  of  explosives  in  such  a  narrow  space. 

Col.  Gillespie.  Have  you  thought  of  any  such  places? 

Mr.  Dear.  I  suppose  it  could  easily  be  found  in  the  Lower  Bay.  I  did  not  feel 
that  it  was  my  duty  to  make  suggestions  of  that  kind.  We  naturally  turn  to 
the  open  water  space  about  hero.  Tne  quarantine  station  in  the  Lower  Bay — I 
think  it  is  certain  that  in  that  neighborhood  the  water  and  the  distance  from 
property  would  concur  to  make  it  a  desirable  anchorage. 

Mr.  Van  Langercke.  We  all  know  tTiat  the  neighborhood  of  a  powder  stor- 
age is  not  very  desirable.  Yet  we  must  have  a  place  to  store  our  powder,  and 
there  must  be  some  neighborhood  not  too  far  away  to  prevent  us  from  doing  our 
traffic  in  it — to  sell,  ship,  and  handle  it.  Every  civilized  country  in  the  world 
gives  the  powder  manufacturer  and  the  powder  dealer  a  place  where  they  can 
handle  the  powder,  and  they  naturally  make  it  just  as  safe  as  possible.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  Government  to  make  it  so. 

I  believe  that  a  rec  3rd  of  our  powder  anchorage  is  as  good  as  any  powder-anchor- 
age record  in  the  world.  They  have  been  lying  there  for  thirty  years  or  longer. 
There  has  never  been  a  life  lost,  or  aay  accident  save  the  burning  of  a  small 
boat,  as  the  rumor  goes,  with  some  powder  on  it,  which  was  run  down  by  one  of 
the  tug  boats.  These  gentleman  are  giving  us  proof  against  the  danger  by  giv- 
ing instances  of  powder  explosions  on  land.  We  all  know,  and  the  records 
show  by  extensive  experiments  made  at  Wilhelmshafen  and  Kiel,  the  principal 
naval  places  of  Germany,  that  the  horizontal  force  on  water  is  less  than  one- tenth 
that  on  land.  If  you  explode  a  large  amount  of  powder  on  water,  it  sends  the 
water  up  to  various  heights  and  in  the  shape  of  a  wall,  making  a  division  be- 
tween the  boats  that  would  be  lying  there,  thus  preventing  more  explosions  and 
sending  the  force  upwards  and  breaking  the  force  of  the  explosion. 

Moreover,  the  tamping  of  the  water  and  breaking  the  force  of  the  explosion 
was  never  better  shown  than  at  Hell  Gate.  People  couple  the  name  of  powder 
with  every  horrible  explosion  that  has  taken  place.  Tliis  may  be  at  places 
where  the  powder  is  actually  handled  and  made  and  handled  carelessly  in  an 
open  state,  but  not  as  it  is  handled  and  stored  on  our  boats.  This  fear  of  pow- 
der had  its  effect  at  the  time  of  the  Hell  Gate  explosion,  and  some  thought  that 
the  whole  of  New  York  would  go  down.  I  know  that  friends  of  mine  wont  away 
from  there  because  they  thought  that  something  awful  would  happon,  but  it 
was  only  the  skill  and  knowledge  of  our  engineers  that  told  the  people  that  the 
danger  would  not  happen.  What  was  the  result  ?  Thousands  of  pounds  of  pow- 
der was  exploded,  but  the  tamr)ing  of  the  wafc  ^r  broke  the  force,  so  that  there 
actually  was  nothing  but  a  rumbling  noise  heard  on  land.  There  was  not  a  pane 
of  glass  broken. 

That  accident  on  the  hill  in  Jerssy  City  near  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and 
Western  tunnel  shows  how  dangerous  it  would  be  to  put  the  powder  on  land. 
There  were  60Ol3r  700  pounds  of  high  explosive  exploded  there  on  the  side  of  the 
hill,  and  there  were  houses  with  solid  brick  w^iUs,  which  would  give  more  force 
to  the  explosion,  40  yards  from  there,  and  yet  there  was  not  a  life  lost.  Glass 
was  broken  along  Palisade  avenue  within  a  few  blocks  and  every  farmer  who 


29 


had  a  broken  pane  of  glass  in  his  house  laid  it  to  the  explosion,  which  had  noth- 
ing- to  do  with  the  breakage.  Everybody  admits  that  there  is  a  superstitious 
fear  of  powder  and  that  is  the  reason  probably  why  some  of  the  men  over  there 
object,  to  the  powdei*  storage. 

i  believe  in  having  rules  and  regulations  on  the  powder  boats  and  that  the 
Government  should  look  to  it.  Powder  manufacturers  consider  that  powder  is 
nowhere  safer  than  in  magazines.  If  you  intend  to  move  the  powder  boats  away 
and  give  us  another  water  storage,  I  think  there  is  none  in  the  neighborhood 
of  New  York  that  is  as  safe  as  this.  What  can  happen  there  on  the  boats  out- 
side of  an  accident  which  may  be  caused  by  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  handlers 
there?  Nothing.  It  is  reduced  to  that  and  no  more.  An  accidental  collision 
by  the  running  in,  in  a  fog,  of  a  steamer  or  sailing  vessel  is  simply  impossible 
there,  because  we  have  to  go  out  at  high  tide  with  a  tug.  It  is  a  narrow  and 
very  small  channel,  and  there  is  only  one  hour  of  high  tide  when  we  can  get  in 
there. 

Any  boat  that  could  do  us  any  damage  would  run  into  the  mud.  It  is  a  deep 
mud  bottom,  which  would  be  all  the  more  favorable  in  case  of  an  explosion.  If 
you  put  us  out  we  get  a  rocky  bottom.  Let  us  get  a  westerly  wind  and  bump 
one  of  these  powder  boats  on  rocky  bottom,  and  the  upsetting  of  a  lamp  or  a  stove 
or  a  box  of  safety  matches  would  then  make  it  possible.  The  greatest  danger 
to  ])Owdef  boats  is  the  chances  of  collision  by  a  boat  or  being  bumped  on  a  rocky 
bottom.  Those  chances  are  done  away  with  by  those  anchorage  grounds.  They 
are  the  safest  you  can  find  around  New  York.  If  you  put  us  on  land  the  same 
objections  could  be  urged  as  on  the  water,  but  the  havoc  and  danger  would  be 
increased  tenfold.  There  is  no  other  ground  so  reasonable,  safe,  and  handy 
around  New  York  for  the  powder  boats  as  this. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Could  you  refer  the  Board  to  any  publication  in  regard  to  those 
powder  matters  at  Wilhelmshafen  and  Kiel  that  you  mentioned  ? 

Mr.  Van  Langercke.  I  have  no  printed  data,  but  have  read  about  it  and 
talked  on  the  subject  with  government  people  on  the  other  side.  I  shall  try  to 
get  them  and  will  take  pleasure  in  sending  them  to  the  Board.  The  same  prin- 
ciple is  recognized  in  England.  They  say  there  that  there  has  never  been  an 
accident  with  powder  stored  in  vessels  anchored  in  the  water. 

Mr.  Dear.  1  would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  if  he  does  not  think  that  the 
proximity  of  the  oil  tanks  increased  the  danger  to  the  powder  boats  ? 

Mr.  Van  Langi:rcke.  I  do  not,  sir. 

Mr.  Dear.  I  know  of  a  case  in  England  where  a  powder  magazine  was  blown 
up.  I  am  sorry  that  I  can  not  give  names  or  dates,  because  it  struck  me  as  very 
remarkable  when  I  read  it.  A  powder  magazine  was  blown  up  owing  to  the  fact 
that  during  very  heavy ,  foggy  weather  a  stream  of  carbonic-acid  gas  floated 
from  some  oil  works  nearly  t>  miles  distant.  The  result  was  the  explosion  of  the 
works  on  one  side  and  the  powder  magazines  on  the  other. 

Mr.  Van  Langercke.  It  is  dangerous  to  put  the  barges  where  they  are  sub- 
ject to  the  tides,  currents,  and  winds.  Another  source  of  danger  is  ice.  There 
is  no  ice  where  we  are  now.  The  ice  can  not  break  up  and  float  ther  e,  and  that 
danger  is  removed.  If  you  put  us  in  deeper  water  we  would  be  in  danger  from 
that  cause,  and  it  would  endanger  the  lives  of  our  employes  on  the  barges. 

Mr.  Banks.  There  are  always  from  six  to  twelve  barges  moored  there  all  the 
time,  and  they  are  close  to  each  other.  You  can  see  them  every  day  receiving 
and  discharging.  When  the  tides  recede  the  barges  are  grounded.  If  one  of 
them  caught  fire  you  could  not  pull  it  out,  and  if  an  explosion  occurred  with  the 
large  amount  of  powder  there  is  there  it  would  be  communicated  to  them  all. 
It  would  not  only  destroy  every  building  in  Jersey  City,  and  it  would  kill  thou- 
sandsof  people, but  the  lower  part  of  New  York  City  and  Brooklyn  would  also 
be  destroyed.  I  saw  the  shanty  at  the  Delaware  and  Lackawanna  tunnel  where 
the  explosion  occurred.  It  was  about  15  by  20  feet,  and  was  located  on  the  side 
of  a  hill.  The  explosion  did  not  reach  the  center  of  Jersey  City,  but  passed  over 
it.  Neither  did  it  reach  the  upper  part  of  the  city  on  the  hill.  It  was  merely 
the  concussion  that  did  the  damage.  Had  it  struck  the  center  of  the  city  it 
would  have  done  an  incalculable  amount  of  damage. 

The  explosion  at  Hallets  Point  is  no  criterion  here.  There  there  was  at  least 
25  feet  of  water  on  top.  I  went  there  personally  and  saw  the  ]dac3.  The  ex- 
plosives were  in  metal  tubes  and  placed  in  holes  in  the  rocks.  They  were  con- 
nected by  wire.  The  explosion  had  the  weight  of  water  to  protect  the  sm-round- 
ings,  and  even  then  the  Government  officers  refused  to  postpone  the  time  for  the 
explosion,  which  occurred  on  a  Sunday.  The  people  objected  to  that  day,  but 
Gen.  Newton  said  that  if  it  was  put  olf  until  the  tide  receded  it  would  destroy 


30 


the  greatest  part  of  Hunter's  Point.  Tliat  was  his  reason  for  the  explosion  to  go 
on  when  he  was  ready  for  it. 

The  explosion  of  the  ba'-gesmay  never  occur,  but  it  may  occur  at  any  moment 
by  an  accident  brought  about  by  the  people  living  on  the  barges,  through  the 
falling  of  a  lamp  or  something  of  that  kind.  Those  boats  are  ramshackle  aflfairs. 
A  stroke  of  lightning  would  destroy  tliem  and  cause  explosions.  Their  location 
is  a  great  danger  and  menace  to  Jersey  City.  We  are  in  great  fear  all  the  time 
for  our  lives  and  pro]x?rty.  The  Government  should  not  allow  them  there,  and 
should  remove  them  somewheres  a  safe  distance  away.  There  are  plenty  of 
plax'es  away  from  here.  They  are  now  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Ellis  Island 
and  but  a  short  distance  from  the  storage  tanks  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company, 
and  less  than  half  a  mile  from  the  first  habitations  at  Jersey  City. 

So  you  can  see  at  a  glance  that  if  an  explosion  should  occur  it  would  certainly 
do  an  awful  amount  of  damage  to  us.  It  may  be  safe,  as  the  gentleman  he)  e  said, 
but  I  have  no  faith  in  that,  and  it  is  certainly  a  very  great  inconvenience  to  us. 
When  we  first  spoke  about  this  storage  we  did  not  realize  how  great  was  the 
danger,  but  we  know  it  now  and  want  it  removed.  It  may  be  safe  where  there 
is  great  depth  of  water,  but  here  you  have  no  depth  at  all.  You  can  only  go 
there  with  boats  at  high  tide,  or  with  lighters  that  require  only  a  small  draft  of 
water.  They  are  right  on  the  bottom  so  that  in  the  case  of  a  concussion  we 
would  receive  the  full  benefit  of  an  explosion.  I  think  there  is  plenty  of  space 
down  along  the  beach  below  Long  Branch  and  Barnegat  Bay.  There  are  very 
few  habitations  there,  and  they  could  lie  there  with  impunity. 

Mr.  Edwakds.  May  it  please  the  Board.  I  appear  in  behalf  of  the  munici- 
pality of  .Jersey  City  as  contradistinguished  from  the  Board  of  Trade.  His  honor 
the  mayor  is  here  with  me,  and  I  am  the  counsel  for  the  city.  We  understand 
that  powder  has  been  stored  at^the  anchorage  for  many  years,  and  that  this  far 
we  have  been  fortunate  in  escaping  the  results  of  an  explosion.  But  its  location 
was  first  pointed  out  or  selected  by  the  Government.  You  must  remember  that 
Jersey  City  had  then  a  population  probably  of  12,000  or  15,000  people.  What  is 
within  the  present  limits  of  Jersej^  City  has  now  a  population  of  30,000. 

But  you  are  now  dealing  with  the  surrounding  country  which  would  be  af- 
fected by  an  explosion  and  its  results.  That  immediate  neighborhood  of  three 
cities  represents  a  population  of  2(X),000.  The  powder  barges  were  located  at  a 
time  when  Communipaw  was  unknown  except  to  the  lovers  of  Washington  Irv- 
ing. At  that  time  the  Jersay  Central  Railroad  depot  was  a  thing  of  the  future, 
the  Standard  Oil  Company  was  unknown,  and  there  was  nothing  in  the  way  of 
factory  or  inhabitants  to  make  powder  storage  there  unsafe.  But  times  have 
changed,  and  now  we  have  a  great  city  in  that  locality  and  constantly  growing 
rapidly.  The  locality  of  these  anchorage  grounds  is  being  rapidly  taken  up  for 
manufacturing  purposes.  It  is  owned  by  the  American  Dock  Company,  but  they 
are  constantly  selling  it  off. 

At  Black  Tom  a  great  depot  has  been  established,  the  National  Storage  Com- 
pany, which  is  a  great  rival  to  the  Erie  Basin.  At  Port  Liberty  we  have  great 
coal  yards.  They  have  moved  there  from  Elizabeth,  and  the  great  anthracite 
combine  is  bringing  all  the  coal  to  this  point.  Great  companies  are  being  started 
here  constantly,  and  they  are  being  constantly  menaced  by  the  presence  of  the 
powder  barges.  To  the  citizens  this  is  a  matter  of  serious  concern.  They  may 
not  be  correct  in  their  fears,  but  the  fear  nevertheless  exists,  and  should  be  al- 
layed, and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Government  to  do  so.  The  Board  of  Engineers 
may  be  absolutely  certain  that  no  accident  will  happen,  yet  if  that  is  a  well- 
grounded  fear  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  an  accident  may  happen,  and  that 
they  hurt  the  growth  of  the  city,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Government  to  remove 
that  danger. 

Of  course  we  can  not  go  into  the  scientific  reasons  for  this  matter,  but  I  do  say 
that  the  people  of  Jersey  City  are  excited  on  this  subject.  They  fear  the  danger 
of  an  explosion,  and  we  insist  that  the  Government  should  aid  us  in  removing 
those  fears.  Not  only  are  large  factories  being  established  there,  ^ut  we  have 
the  great  oil  interests  which  have  been  located  at  that  particular  point.  It  has 
been  stated  that  there  is  no  danger  on  that  score.  The  danger  to  oil  is,  as  you 
know,  entirely  confined  to  lightning  strikes.  I  livedfor  many  years  near  Cavans 
Point,  and  the  explosions  by  reason  of  lightning  strokes  were  not  frequent,  but 
they  occurred  every  two  or  three  years,  and  on  one  or  two  occasions  the  oil  has 
escaped  to  the  bay  and  floated  down  towards  Staten  Island. 

You  will  remember  some  years  ago  that  there  was  a  strong  complaint  that  oil 
was  escaping  in  the  form  of  sludge  acid,  giving  a  greasy  appearance  to  the 
Water.   I  know  you  could  see  the  glassy,  oily  substance  floating  over  all  the 


31 


water  there.  If  an  explosion  took  place,  and  the  fire  communicated  to  the  oily 
substance,  you  can  easily  imaafine  the  disastrous  effects.  In  what  is  called  the 
Gillespie  ship  channel  there  is  a  current  that  was  one  of  the  reasons  for  improv- 
ing that  channel.  The  existence  of  that  channel  was  an  argument  that  that 
current  would  act  as  a  scour. 

There  is  a  current  there,  perhaps  not  a  strong  one,  but  it  exists,  and  for  that 
reason  an  accident  on  the  barges  would  be  very  dangerous  to  the  oil  tanks,  which 
are  in  great  numbers.  There  are  about  thirty-six  in  that  locality.  1  know  my- 
self of  twenty  having  been  erected  in  the  past  twelve  months.  The  old  Vreeland 
property  has  been  sold  for  thatpurpose  within  the  past  eighteen  months  and  the 
Standard  Oil  Company  have  been  building  tanks  there  that  are  very  extensive. 
The  Curry  property  is  also  to  be  acquired.  The  National  Storage  Company  has 
also  in  contemplation  the  building  of  other  tanks.  There  are  also  tanks  to  be  built 
to  the  north  by  other  companies  at  what  is  known  as  the  old  Abbott  wharf  prop- 
erty. If  they  build  them  the  people  of  Jersey  City  will  feel  the  danger  of  having 
powder  stored  in  the  vicinity.  I  refer  to  the  powder  stored  at  these  anchorage 
grounds. 

It  is  a  question,  not  between  the  Government  and  Jersey  City,  but  as  between 
the  powder  merchants  and  Jersey  City.  They  say  to  this  Board,  you  ought  to 
be  careful  about  the  lives  of  the  men  that  work  on  the  powder  boats.  They  un- 
dertake the  risk  of  that  employment,  and  are  paid  wages  comintmsurate  with 
that  risk  and  can  leave  if  they  want  to.  But  the  peoi)le  of  Jersey  City  are  there 
to  stay,  and  have  got  to  stay  there.  The  people  on  the  powder  boats  are  here 
to-day  and  gone  to-morrow.  They  say  this  is  an  important  question  to  the 
powder  people.  That  is  a  question  which  alone  aftects  their  ])ockets,  but  to  us 
it  is  a  question  of  the  lives  of  the  inhabitants.  Their  financial  interests  ought 
not  to  be  weighed  in  the  scale  of  men's  lives,  not  even  in  the  scale  of  men's  fears. 
We  ought  to  be  protected  by  reason  of  the  fears  in  the  mind^of  the  people  con- 
cerning this  powder  storage.  They  say  to  us:  '"Where  can  we  go?"  There 
are  places  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  where  they  would  not  be  limited.  I 
think  I  could  suggest  such  places  which  would  be  available  for  a  great  number 
of  years. 

You  gentlemen  are  undoubtedly  familiar  with  the  locality  of  Newark  Bay 
where  the  Lehigh  Valley  bridge  is  situated.  There  is  a  space  there  which  has 
a  mud  bottom  ;  not  only  a  mud  bottom,  but  a  place  which  is  absolutely  unvis- 
ited  by  vessels.  It  is  away  from  the  channels  and  from  the  great  bulk  of  our 
population.  The  situation  might  be  just  as  dangerous  to  Jersey  City  as  the 
present  grounds,  but  it  would  have  theelTect  of  removing  th(3  fears  of  the  people. 
I  only  make  that  in  the  way  of  suggestion.  There  is  quite  a  space  there  between 
the  shore  and  the  up  end  of  mud  property  which  runs  back  8,0(X)  or  4,000  feet. 
The  mud  is  comparatively  deep  and  I  think  the  bottom  is  of  the  same  general 
character. 

There  are  also  places'in  Newark  Bay— shoals  down  by  the  light-house — where 
these  powder  barges  could  be  located,  and  also  places  on  the  Raritan  River.  It 
would  be  a  little  more  expensive  to  the  powder  people,  but  we  submit  to  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  represented  by  this  Board  that  it  is  of  greater 
importance  that  we  should  be  relieved  of  our  fears  than  that  a  few  dollars  should 
be  saved  in  freight  to  the  powder  men.  As  I  understand  it,  the  powder  is  not 
owned  by  the  Government,  but  by  these  people.  It  is  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  as  recently  defined  by  the  commission  for  that  purpose. 
In  New  Jersey  we  do  not  permit  people  to  store  powder  in  the  cities,  and  it  is 
only  that  these  people  are  under  the  strong  protecting  arm  of  the  Government 
of  the  United  States  that  they  are  permitted  to  have  their  storage  on  the 
barges. 

There  is  a  strong  feeling  from  people  against  interfering  with  the  National 
Government,  but  think  this  danger  should  be  removed.  This  point  in  Newark 
Bay  which  I  suggest,  is  shown  on  this  map,  giving  the  United  States  there.  I 
will  mark  the  place.  It  is  known  as  Droyers  Point.  It  is  a  mile  from  any  hab- 
itation. The  great  bulk  of  the  people  there  live  a  mile  or  more  back.  There  is 
absolutely  no  communication  at  that  point.  You  will  remember  that  draws  are 
built  there,  and  that  there  would  be  no  connection  for  a  vessel  coming  in  there. 
The  present  storage  ground  is  in  the  center  of  a  population  of  3,000,000  people. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Are  not  the  people  afraid  of  the  dangers  from  the  storage  there 
of  such  large  quantities  of  petroleum  ? 

Mr.  Edwards.  Yes,  sir ;  there  is  danger,  and  it  seems  like  a  dispensation  of 
Providence  that  there  have  been  no  lightning  strokes.  Supposing  these  powder 
boats  were  struck  by  lightning,  what  would  be  the  result  ?   The  insurance  com* 


32 


paiii  'S  insoft  in  thoir  policies  in  .Torsoy  City  that  if  a  building  falls  by  reason 
ex])losivt'S  th<'y  shall  not  bo  liabh^  for-  losses  fiom  resultinj^  llres.    Such  a  sli])is 
atlarhcd  to  tht' j)(>lifies.    If  a  Imildinj,'- should  fall  during"  an  explosion,  and  a 
lire  ensue,  o\n'  proi)ei  ty  would  be  destroyed  and  wo  could  not  recover. 

C'ol.  (ilLlJCSl'iK.  What  is  the  cajuicity  of  those  tanks  ? 

Mr.  Dkar.  They  are  40  feet  iu  diameter  and  20  feet  high. 

A  VOICE.  About  L',000,000  i^allons  each. 

Gen.  Abbot.  It  strikes  n\o  as  st  range  that  the  city  should  allow  such  a  great 
menace. 

Mr.  Edwards.  We  have  a  gi  eat  fear,  but  the  Standard  Oil  Company  pays  a 
largo  revenue  to  the  city  and  ihey  are  very  careful.  They  maintain  an  elTective 
lire  company  of  thoir  own. 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  have  bi-en  connected  with  the  Hazard  Powdei'  Company 
both  as  a  young  man  and  an  ofhcer  for  thirty-two  years.  When  I  first  went  int  o 
thatoftiee  the  eom])aiiy"s  boat  was  locat -d  directly  off  where  the  Pennsylvania 
l\aili-oad  docks  now  are.  In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  the  people  of  .Jersey 
City  we  have,  from  time  to  time,  moved  down  without  one  word  being  said  to 
us,  gnwlually  and  gradually,  until  we  were  located  three  years  ago  ott*  the  docks 
of  the  Central  iiailroad  of  New  .Jersey.  In  the  course  of  the  i-emarks  of  the 
gentleman  who  preceded  me,  he  alluded  to  the  fact  that  we  had  been  located 
by  the  Government  where  we  now  are  for  over  thirty  years.  I  will  say  that  prior 
to  the  year  i  sss,  no  me.-sage  oi*  complaint  was  received  by  Hazard  Powder  Com- 
pany, and  I  know  that  the  company's  experience  in  the  port  of  New  York  is  as 
large  as  any  dealei'"s  here  in  powder.  A  complaint  was  made  by  some  one  con- 
nected with  one  of  the  coal  docks.  It  was  never  made  to  us,  but  to  a  Govern- 
ment officer  I  think. 

As  far  as  our  own  company  is  concerned— and  I  think  I  can  say  the  same  for 
the  other  companies — we  never  have  received  a  complaint,  nor  has  anyone  called 
at  my  office  with  a  grievance  about  the  powder  boats.  It  was  only  in  1888  that 
the  Government  took  hold  of  this  question.  You  will  remember  that  at  that 
time  the  Government  created  the  anchorage  department,  if  that  is  the  proper 
expression.  That  at  once  made  it  an  official  matter,  and  gentlemen  fi-om  the 
department  waited  on  us,  and  we  met  them  with  all  the  zeal  we  could  get  up  to 
aid  them.  I  went  with  Lieut.  Hunker  to  the  floats  and  said  to  him  that  if  that 
was  not  the  proper  place  for  the  storage  of  powder  we  were  ready  to  remove. 
The  matter  remained  in  abeyance,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  that  larger 
place  shown  on  this  map  here  should  be  the  place  where  the  powder  companies 
should  store  their  powder. 

We,  as  powder  men,  went  to  Lieut.  Hunker  and  told  him  that  he  might  just  as 
well  sink  our  vessels  as  tell  us  to  anchor  in  that  place.  He  agreed  with  us,  and 
by  permission  of  the  United  States  Government  the  other  anchorage  was  ap- 
proved of  as  the  official  anchorage.  That  is  why  we  are  there  to-day,  and  why  we 
want  to  remain  there.  Our  locatitm  there  has  been  generally  known,  and  the 
Standard  Oil  Comjmny,  located  in  Jersey  City  when  they  knew  about  our  being 
there.  We  represent  a  very  large  and  important  commerce  of  this  port,  have  a 
large  office  and  employ  a  great  many  men.  If  you  stop  us  from  having  that  stoi-- 
age.  you  might  as  well  close  our  office.  We  are  entitled,  as  merchants  and  busi- 
ness men  to  the  protection  of  your  Board  th  3  same  as  the  Standard  Oil  Company. 

Why  do  they  not  direct  your  attention  to  them  as  well  as  to  us?  I  have  no 
personal  feeling  in  the  matter,  but  sim])ly  come  here  because  the  Hazard  Pow- 
der Company  wants  to  do  a  legitimate,  lawful  business  in  a  proper  way.  It  stores 
only  black  powder  there,  and  handles  only  as  much  as  it  can  sell.  AH  it  keeps 
on  the  barges  is  only  what  is  necessary  to  fill  the  short  orders  received — the 
small  orders  which  we  get  from  time  to  time.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  gentlemen, 
and  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey,  bear  in  mind  that  we  are  entitled,  as  merchants, 
to  the  same  protection  as  the  Standard  Oil  Company.  I  think  that  the  very 
fact  that  we  have  laid  there  for  thirty-two  years  with  uniform  freedom  from  ac- 
cident is  a  very  strong  argument  why  we  should  stay  there. 

All  the  men  that  we  employ  have  been  with  us  nearly  all  of  that  time.  We  do 
not  employ  strangers.  The  business  is  done  systematically  and  in  a  proper  and 
legitimate  mann  >r,  and  the  powder  is  just  as  much  an  article  of  commerce  as 
the  tlour  and  bread  you  eat.  It  is  a  very  necessary  commodity.  We  are  mak- 
ing elTorts  to  increase  the  export  trade  of  New  York  and  to  help  its  growth.  In 
order  to  do  that  we  have  got  to  have  proper  facilities  for  delivering  powder.  If 
a  vessel  is  going  to  sea  we  must  have  the  powder  where  we  can  get  it  ready  at 
once,  for  she  will  not  wait  for  us.  Fogs  are  liable  and  tides  change,  and  this  place 
is  the  very  best  in  the  port  in  every  way. 


83 


Gen.  Abbot.  I  think  the  Board  would  like  to  have  an  expression  of  your  views 
as  to  the  suj^gested  location  in  Newark  Bay. 

Mr.  Weightman.  In  the  first  plac3,  the  location  spoken  of  would  be  entirely 
inaccessible  in  the  winter  on  account  of  ice.  We  could  not  use  the  first  anchor- 
ag'e  selected  on  account  of  the  running  ice.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  present  place 
was  selected  on  account  of  its  freedom  from  that  danger.  Do  you  mean  to  tell 
-me  that  we  could  get  to  that  Newark  place  in  the  winter? 

Mr.  Edwards.  Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  should  say  you  could  not  get  in  there  in  the  winter  on  ac- 
count of  ice,  and  the  powder  business  in  winter  is  just  ?.s  important  as  in  sum- 
mer.   It  is  frozen  over  there,  so  that  you  could  not  get  access  to  it. 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  I  know  myself  that  the  flow  of  ice  in  the  Hackensack 
i&  very  strong.  I  am  a  good  deal  of  a  sportsman  and  have  been  there  ducking, 
and  know  that  in  April  I  have  crossed  the  Hackensack  River  right  at  the  head 
of  that  point  that  was  indicated  there,  and  have  gone  half  a  mile  from  there  and 
have  found  ice  a  foot  thick.  There  is  always  a  large  body  of  ice  there  and  when 
it  breaks  up  no  anchorage  will  hold  a  powder  boat.  As  powder  men  and  as 
reasonable  citizens  we  do  not  acknowledge  the  undesirability  of  the  powder 
barges  at  the  anchorage.  I  believe,  however,  that  we  should  meot  you  half 
way.  I  believe  that  the  Government  should  make  some  rules  and  regulations  to 
keep  down  the  quantities  stored  there,  especially  in  high  explosives. 

We  told  the  Board  the  other  day  that  all  of  our  companies  have  land  maga- 
zines where  we  can  store  the  bulk  of  our  powder.  We  are  willing — and  I  dare 
say  I  can  speak  for  all  the  companies — to  reduce  the  quantities  and  keep  nothing 
but  the  low  class  of  powders  there,  and  then  there  would  be  no  danger.  This 
crazy  fear  of  the  name  of  powder  does  us  injustice.  There  are  no  such  quanti- 
ties thuere  as  is  claimed,  and  we  are  willing  to  have  the  quantities  reduced.  Let 
the  Government  say  that  the  boats  should  be  kept  a  certain  distance  apart,  and 
make  regulations  that  are  reasonable,  and  that  will  be  as  safe  as  a  powder  place 
can  possibly  be. 

If  you  put  it  on  the  other  side  of  Jersey  City  you  will  have  the  same  troubles 
and  dangers.  It  would  be  impossible  to  anchor  there  on  account  of  the  ice,  and 
you  would  simply  shift  the  supposed  danger  from  one  place  to  another.  Regu- 
late the  danger  and  kesp  it  down  to  the  minimum.  That  would  be  the  most 
sensible  thing  to  do.  Jersey  City  has  greater  nuisances  than  this.  People  who 
live  there  are  not  annoyed  by  the  powder  barges.  They  have  the  tanks  and 
odors  of  refineries  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  the  abattoirs,  and  the  bone 
and  swill  factories.  It  has  been  some  time  since  I  have  been  there,  but  I  know 
about  this  from  what  I  have  heard  and  read,  and  they  are  greater  dangers  than 
the  powder  boats. 

Mr.  Dear.  What  is  your  idea  of  the  reasonable  quantity  of  powder  to  be  al- 
lowed there  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  I  know  that  the  quantities  there  which  I  represent  are 
very  small.  We  have  a  smokeless  powder  there  which  will  not  explode;  but  I 
am  now  speaking  of  the  black  gunpowder.  Let  us  keep  enough  there  to  make 
our  shipments  and  give  us  a  chance  to  do  our  business,  and  keep  the  bulk  of  the 
powder  away  from  there.  We  are  now  under  strict  Government  supervision. 
Harbor  officers  come  in  there  and  see  that  the  barges  are  properly  moored. 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  should  like  to  know  the  quantities  which  you  would  want  to 
have  stored  there  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  If  you  will  address  the  different  powder  companies 
they  would  figure  it  out.  If  larger  shipments  were  needed  the  powder  companies 
would  certainly  have  the  privilege  of  applying  to  the  Government  for  permis- 
sion to  keep  a  larger  quantity  there,  if  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  special  ship- 
ment. We  have  had  a  shipment  of  powder  there  for  four  or  five  days  and  could 
not  ship  it  on  account  of  the  ship  not  being  ready.  It  is  sometimes  impossible 
to  figure  for  four  or  five  days. 

Mr.  Dear.  How  many  companies  are  there  there  ? 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  think  five. 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Wherever  you  place  it  it  will  be  found  not  desirable. 
People  are  afraid  of  it.  There  are  lots  of  people  who  would  not  go  on  board  of 
a  man-of-war,  but  it  is  a  necessary  evil  that  you  must  have  the  powder  some- 
where and  in  a  place  where  trade  will  not  be  hurt,  where  it  is  available  for  com- 
merce. We  live  up  to  all  the  rules,  but  if  you  put  us  where  we  can  not  make 
connections  you  make  the  powder  trade  impossible.  If  you  shift  us  around  you 
will  certainly  find  new  dangers  worse  than  here.  I  think  the  place  suggested 
for  a  new  anchorage  is  simply  impossible.  There  is  too  much  ice  there.  °A  sud- 
9017  3 


34 


den  thaw  would  take  the  hoat  down  to  tlie  Standard  oil  works,  and  a  collision 
would  cause  a  disaster.  We  must  have  a  place  for  storage.  Powder  is  a  staple 
article  of  commerce,  and  the  trade  in  this  port  would  certainly  be  killed.  New 
York  is  a  great  distributing  point  in  every  direction  for  powder.  Wo  have  our 
main  storage  magazines  at  safe  i)lact'8,  but  in  order  to  make  our  daily  sales  we 
have  got  to  have  a  place  near  here  which  we  can  reach  inside  of  a  day.  I  would 
like  to  have  you  gentlemen  ai)i)reciate  our  position  and  our  willingness  to  meet 
you  half  way  and  to  make  the  storage  of  powder  as  less  dangerous  as  possible. 

Mr.  Edwards.  The  argument  of  the  gentleman  on  the  other  side  proceeds 
upon  the  theory  that,  although  the  railroad  and  ferry  companies  should  look 
after  their  own  property,  the  powder  companies  should  have  the  Govern- 
ment look  after  them  and  permit  them  to  store  the  powder  in  the  harbor.  Ho 
says  he  does  not  wish  the  location  in  the  Hacken.sack.  I  say  it  is  better  to  have 
them  there  than  to  jeopardize  the  interests  and  lives  of  so  many  people.  There 
they  will  not  be  within  a  mile  of  any  house,  and  will  not  be  within  2  miles  of 
10,000  people.    They  will  be  within  3  miles  of  the  shipping. 

Gen.  Abbot.  How  long  does  it  take  to  make  connection  with  a  vessel  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  That  depends  upon  the  tide  and  wind.  Sometimes  it 
will  take  twenty-four  hours. 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  transport  by  row  boat  and  not  by  steam  power.  We 
could  have  saved  lots  of  money  by  using  steam  power,  but  it  is  safer  to  use  boats, 
though  the  expense  is  greater.  They  are  the  best  made  and  cost  $17.")  each.  The 
Government  depends  upon  the  Hazard  and  the  Laflin  &  Rand  and  the  DuPont 
companies  for  its  powder.  We  are  therefore  entitled  to  your  consideration. 
We  have  our  business  rights,  and  could  do  nothing  with  such  a  location  as  has 
been  suggested  here.  1  speak  from  an  experience  of  thirty-two  years.  We  gave 
up  our  resources  to  theGoverment  during  the  war,  and  are  willing  to  do  so  again. 

Mr.  Edwards.  If  you  want  to  see  what  Jersey  City  did  for  the  Government 
go  up  to  our  cemetery.  I  guess  we  need  not  discuss  that  point.  When  this  ap- 
plication was  first  made  we  were  under  the  idea  that  it  was  Government  powder 
which  was  stored  here.  But  we  find  that  it  is  the  powder  of  private  concerns,  and 
that  simplifies  matters  very  much,  and  also  simplifies  the  duties  of  this  Board. 
We  respectfully  submit  that  any  harbor  regulations  which  would  be  made  would 
simply  be  violated.  They  ask  that  the  quantity  to  be  stored  be  limited.  It 
would  not  be  long  before  all  that  would  be  forgotten  and  business  would  be  done 
in  the  old  way.  The  best  way  to  get  rid  of  an  evil  is  to  reject  it.  Thej'^say  it  is 
your  duty  to  sacrifice  the  community  to  danger  to  the  advantage  of  private  in- 
terests. 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  ask  to  remain  there  because  it  is  for  the  interest  of 
this  port.  Although  we  have  always  kept  a  limited  quantity  of  powder  there, 
we  will  reduce  everything  to  the  minimum,  and  before  closing  I  want  to  say 
this :  we  never  had  any  trouble  in  this  matter  until  high  explosives  came  in.  I 
think  the  black  powder  interests  of  this  country  should  be  protected.  Itshould 
not  be  sacrificed.  I  say  this  with  all  due  respect  to  the  people  interested  in  high 
explosives  (and  we  are  interested  financially  with  them),  that  the  ordinary 
black  powder  of  commerce  is  an  entirely  different  thing  from  high  explosives 
It  has  done  much  for  the  country. 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  have  referred  to  the  papers  to  see  if  a  distinction  hasbeen 
made  between  the  two  characters  of  explosives. 

Mr.  Dear.  We  understand  that  high  explosives  are  stored  there. 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  wanted  to  understand  whether  the  black  powder  or  high  ex- 
plosives were  had  in  view  during  the  course  of  the  remarks. 

Mr.  Dear.  We  fear  all  kinds  of  powder  in  such  clos3  proximity  to  the  prop- 
erty. 

Mr.  Edwards.  We  are  not  experts,  but  are  willing  to  rely  entirely  upon  the 
judgment  and  knowledge  of  the  United  States  Engineers  on  the  subject,  and 
think  that  they  will  make  safe  provisions  for  us.  We  submit  the  matter  to  this 
Board,  and  think  the  whole  sftation  should  be  removed.    That  is  our  position. 

Mr.  Corcoran.  I  am  a  manufacturer  of  Jersey  City  and  employ  some  sixty 
people.  I  look  at  this  matter  from  a  business  standpoint.  These  powder  people 
have  had  that  place  for  thirty  years,  and  now  complain  that  they  would  be  put  to 
expense  if  they  were  removed  to  another  place.  Let  them  move,  I  say.  There 
is  a  popular  demand  for  it,  and  we  ask  the  Government  to  meet  this  demand. 
Suppose  they  are  put  to  more  expense.  If  I  am  put  to  extra  expanse,  T  increase 
m^  price.  These  powder  men  are  few  in  number  and  can  raise  the  price  of  powder 
without  trouble.  You  have  got  to  take  the  powder  from  them.  This  is  no  place 
for  dangerous  explosives. 


35 


I  did  some  work  for  the  Government  at  the  torpedo  station.  I  saw  a  lot  of 
brown  stuff  there,  and  they  told  me  that  it  was  enough  to  destroy  the  whole  city 
of  Newport.  I  know,  from  talking  to  Government  officers,  what  the  dangers  are. 
Let  them  go  down  below  Staten  Island,  at  Sandy  Hook.  Let  them  build  a  little 
island  there  and  store  their  powder  there.  Their  boats  are  a  ramshackle  lot. 
They  talk  about  the  lives  of  their  employes.  They  know  the  danger,  and  they 
are  glad  to  get  the  work  and  take  the  risk.  There  is  nothing  in  this  complaint 
that  they  can't  ship  their  powder  when  they  want.  I  have  had  experience,  and 
know  that  you  can  get  any  amount  of  ships  to  take  their  powder  at  almost  any 
time,  unless  it  might  be  one  of  the  tramp  steamers.  There  is  no  use  in  drawing 
the  line  with  regard  to  the  quantity  to  be  stored  there.  There  is  too  much  oil 
about  here. 

Mr.  Wanser.  I  did  not  intend  to  say  anything,  because  I  thought  I  was  very 
ably  represented  by  the  corporation  counsel.  Most  of  the  arguments  here  to-day 
have  taken  up  a  great  deal  of  time  and  said  nothing.  Some  have  gone  into  this 
matter  as  experts,  but  it  seems  to  us  that  this  Board  of  Engineers  understands 
that  feature  of  the  case  better  than  any  of  us.  I  want  to  ask  you  in  behalf  of  the 
people  of  Jersey  City  to  remove  those  powder  boats.  One  gentleman  said  the 
city  has  not  grown,  and  on  top  of  that  he  says  he  has  not  been  there  for  a  long 
time.  But  we  are  satisfied  with  our  growth  and  satisfied  that  we  will  get  your 
protection.  If  not,  our  legislature  will  give  us  protection.  These  powder  barges 
are  all  within  the  limits  of  the  city.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  will  cause  little  ex- 
pense to  remove  the  barges  to  some  safe  distance. 

There  has  been  something  said  here  about  a  new  anchorage.  That  is  a  mat- 
ter with  which  this  Board  will  deal.  You  are  men  of  military  education  and  know 
what  powder  will  do.  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  different  grades.  What 
we  do  know  is  that  we  want  those  powder  barges  removed  to  a  more  remote 
place,  and  by  doing  so  have  our  rates  of  insurance  decreased.  With  regard  to 
the  Standard  Oil  Company  I  will  say  that  they  are  already  established  by  author- 
iK  of  the  city,  but  these  powder  people  have  no  right  to  be  there. 

Gen.  Abbc)T.    They  have  the  right  under  the  provisions  of  an  actof  Congress. 

Mr.  Edwards.  We  say  that  they  are  not  vessels  within  the  intent  of  the  law, 
although  we  do  not  press  the  legal  point.  They  are  not  sailing  vessels  within 
the  meaning  of  the  act.    They  are  simply  floating  islands  located  there. 

Gen.  Abbot.  They  are  located  where  they  are  under  authority  conferred  on 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  by  the  act  of  Congress  approved  May  16,  1888. 
The  position  of  the  Treasury  Department  now  is  to  get  further  information 
showing  the  necessity  of  changing  the  regulations  heretofore  made  in  conformity 
with  this  act. 

Mr.  Wanser.  We  are  in  great  danger  on  account  of  the  situation  of  the  tanks 
of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  and  the  possibility  of  floating  oil  in  case  of  fire 
reaching  the  barges.  In  case  of  an  explosion  the  damage,  I  believe,  would  be 
very  great,  and  we  believe  that  the  Government  owes  it  to  us  to  remove  those 
barges  to  another  place.  I  recognize  that  we  have  got  to  have  powder  and  dy- 
namite, but  our  people  are  in  great  fear,  and  I,  as  their  representative,  hope 
that  you  will  recommend  the  removal  of  the  cause.  I  am  willing  to  pay  a  little 
more  for  the  powder  I  use,  and  we  ask  that  the  making  of  a  little  more  expense 
to  those  powder  people  will  not  stand  in  the  way  of  the  property  and  lives  of  our 
people. 

Gen.  Abbot.  It  is  a  question  of  utility  more  than  anything  else.  The  ques- 
tion is  as  to  whether  the  quantity  there  could  be  properly  limited.  The  point 
would  be  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  accident  and  to  so  limit  the  storage  as  to 
insure  reasonable  safety. 

Mr.  Dear.  What  is  the  usual  method  of  shipment  from  those  barges  ?  I  un- 
derstand that  almost  all  the  shipments  are  made  on  vessels.  How  does  the  ves- 
sel come  alongside  the  barge  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  By  lighter. 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  have  row  boats  that  carry  100  kegs. 
Gen.  Abbot.  Where  would  those  vessels  lie  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  At  the  old  powder  anchorages.  They  can  go  on  the  outer 
edge  into  deep  water. 

Col.  Houston.  Do^ou  take  your  powder  from  your  barges  in  row  boats  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  It  is  brought  down  in  lighters  from  our  magazines  at  Fort 
Lee.    From  the  barges  to  New  York  or  New  Jersey  we  take  it  in  row  boats. 

Gen.  Abbot.  In  shipments  to  leave  the  port  by  vessel  you  go  up  to  Fort  Lee 
for  your  powder  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  Yes,  sir. 


86 


Gen.  AnnOT.  How  docs  it  go  from  the  bar^e  for  delivery  to  the  railroad  for 

local  1186  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.    It  goes  in  our  row  boat. 

Mr.  Edwards.  None  of  your  foreign  shipments  go  from  this  point? 

Mr.  Wkightman.  If  it  is  in  small  quantities;  if  it  is  not  lar^'c  enoui,'-h  for  the 
lipht^r.  It  depends  upon  cirtnnnstances  whether  you  have  the  right  kind  of 
powder  stored  here.  Sometimes  you  are  short  of  a  few  packages ;  then  you  have 
to  go  \fi  your  stores. 

Mr.  Dear.  Witho\it  wanting  to  take  any  advantage  here  I  was  trying  to  bring 
out  the  relative  importance  of  that  station.    They  do  not  use  it  for  export? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  said  we  did  use  it  for  export.  I  said  that  if  we  were  short 
of  a  few  packages  of  powder  for  steamers  to  go  to  South  America  in  a  shipment 
of  150  or  175  kegs.  If  there  are  large  shipments  our  lighters  would  go  alongside 
and  ship  the  powder.  I  mention  that  to  show  that  the  risk  is  not  so  great  as 
is  thought. 

Mr.  Dear.  The  other  point  I  wanted  to  bring  out  is  this.  If  that  is  a  distrib- 
uting point  you  are  simply  multiplying  the  points  of  danger  in  the  harbor  of 
New  York  by  the  existence  of  this  station.  If  it  was  carried  down  to  Staten  Is- 
land and  the  Lower  Bay,  vessels  could  advantageously  get  there  and  be  loaded 
alongside. 

Mr.  Weightman.  From  a  commercial  point  of  view,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
the  quantity  is  not  sufficient  to  let  the  vessel  stop. 

Mr.  Edwards.  What  proportion  of  the  powder  you  sell  is  put  in  these  powder 
barges  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  am  not  prepared  to  answer  that. 
Mr.  Edwards.  Is  it  10  per  cent,  20  per  cent,  or  what  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  I  could  not  state  exactly.  The  powder  business  of  this 
port  is  a  very  important  one.  Otherwise  I  would  not  be  standing  before  you 
gentlemen  and  make  the  statement  I  have. 

Gen.  Abbot.  I  had  supposed  that  that  was  a  distributing  magazine  from 
which  you  supplied  the  vessels  with  small  quantities.  When  do  they  receive 
them  ? 

Mr.  Weightman.  We  take  the  row  boat  to  the  steamer  at  the  wharf,  and  the 
laws  of  the  port  of  New  York  and  the  fire  department  allow  you  to  do  this 
from  sunrise  to  sunset.  If  a  keg  of  powder  is  carried  through  the  streets  of 
New  York  it  is  put  into  a  canvas  bag.  We  comply  with  the  law,  and  that  is  the 
Ireason  why  we  have  been  so  successful. 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  The  powder  business  is  necessarily  one  that  is  irregu- 
lar. It  runs  differently  from  day  to  day  and  is  under  restrictions.  A  man  has 
the  right  to  keep  50  pounds  in  his  store.  If  we  get  an  order  for  50  pounds,  it 
goes  at  once,  and  the  next  day  we  may  get  a  similar  order.  It  is  a  running  busi- 
ness. The  powder  dealers  are  restricted  all  over  the  land,  and  we  never  know 
from  one  hour  to  another  what  powder  we  may  want  in  the  afternoon.  We  gen- 
erally have  a  few  days'  notice  for  a  large  order.  Say  we  get  an  order  to  have 
200  kegs  ready  for  Thursday.  That  powder  has  got  to  be  within  reach  by  that 
time.  The  black-powder  people  may  be  short  of  a  certain  grade  and  would  have 
to  have  a  few  days'  notice  to  have  the  order  right.  Everybody  wants  to  .^ave  as 
much  labor  and  freight  as  possible,  and  if  the  order  is  large  the  shipment  is 
made  from  the  works.  These  powder  boats  are  our  distributing  centers,  and 
this  is  the  distributing  center  of  the  powder  business  of  the  country. 

Gen.  Abbot.  You  ship  the  powder  in  the  same  way  as  the  other  companies  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  Our  powder  business,  compared  with  black  powder,  is 
at  present  comparatively  small.  If  we  get  an  order  on  a  Friday,  which  is  rail- 
road powder  day,  we  try  to  combine  our  orders  as  much  as  possible,  but  it  is  im- 
possible to  make  an  arbitrary  system  in  that  respect.  If  we  have  the  powder  in 
New  York  City,  more  than  the  law  allows,  we  have  to  get  it  out. 

Gen.  Abbot.  Is  there  any  condition  of  tide  when  a  vessel  can  go  into  the 
anchorage  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  No,  sir.  Another  point  is  that  if  you  put  our  barges 
away  from  the  distributing  point,  we  could  not  get  100  ]  ounds  t  igether  to  fill  an 
order  to  send  away  if  the  order  comes  in  to  send  it  that  day.  If  a  car  breaks 
down  or  there  is  any  accident  to  cause  delay,  we  would  lose  the  sale. 

Mr.  Edwards.  Can  you  keep  the  powder  in  the  city  ? 

Mr.  Von  Lengercke.  No,  sir.  It  must  be  in  a  comparatively  safe  place,  and 
the  anchorage  is  such  a  place. 

Mr.  Corcoran.  It  seems  to  me  from  these  arguments  that  these  storages  are 
•imply  to  save  freight.    I  do  not  see  why  they  can  not  make  these  shipments 


37 


from  Fort  Lee.  There  is  no  difficuly  in  making  shipments,  and  I  have  had 
an  experience  of  thirty  years  in  that  line.  It  is  only  in  the  case  of  demurrage 
that  there  is  any  delay.  There  is  generally  lots  of  notice  from  shipping  ves- 
sels. It  is  only  from  the  tramp  steamers  that  you  do  not  get  much  notice.  Let 
them  be  moved  away,  and  add  the  additional  expense  to  the  price  of  the  powder. 
The  meeting  then,  at  1:15  p.  m.,  was  closed. 


E. 

Legal  restrictions  upon  the  potcder  trade. 

The  laws  and  regulations  governing  the  storage  and  transportation  of  explo- 
sives in  and  about  the  harbor  of  New  York  are  set  forth  in  the  following  ab- 
stracts: 

LAWS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  these  laws: 

[Act  approved  March  17,  1874,  laws  of  1874,  page  40.] 

Section  1  provides  that  no  person  shall  deliver  any  explosive  material  for 
transportation  without  giving  information  as  to  the  nature  of  the  article;  nor 
without  plainly  marking  the  package.  Failure  to  comply  is  made  a  misde- 
meanor. 

Section  2  provides  that  transportation  companies  may  require  shippers  to 
open  suspected  packages.  If  explosive  material  is  found,  it  shall  be  removed  to 
a  safe  place  and  sold,  the  proceeds  to  be  appropriated  by  the  State.  Transpor- 
tation companies  can  not  be  required  to  transport  explosives  against  their  con- 
sent. 

[Act  approved  March  21,  1874,  laws  of  1874,  page  59.] 

Prohibits  the  manufacture  or  storage  of  nitro-glycerin  or  any  of  its  com- 
pounds within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  any  town,  village,  etc.,  or  within  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  any  inhabited  house  without  a  written  consent  from  the  inhab- 
itant of  such  house. 

[Act  approved  March  25,  1881,  laws  of  1881,  page  231.] 

This  amends  the  act  of  March  17,  1874,  so  as  to  include  the  manufacture  and 
storage  of  nitro-naphthalene,  blasting  powder,  or  any  material  of  which  nitro- 
naphthalene  is  an  essential  ingredient  or  forms  a  component  part. 

[Act  approved  April  12,  1886,  laws  of  1886,  page  214.] 

Makes  it  unlawful  for  any  railroad  company  doing  business  in  the  State  to 
transport  giant  powder,  dynamite,  or  nitro-glycerin  upon  trains  carrying  pas- 
sengers.   Fine,  $100  for  each  offense. 

[Act  approved  May  11,  1886,  laws  of  1886,  page  358.] 

Prohibits  the  manufacture  or  storage  of  powder  and  high  explosives  within 
2,000  feet  from  any  public  road.  Fins  not  exceeding  $2,000.  It  permits  storage 
in  fireproof  magazines  not  exceeding  2,000  pounds  within  the  said  distance  of 
2,000  feet.  Provided,  That  the  prohibition  in  this  act  shall  not  aj^ply  to  any  es- 
tablished storehouse  or  building  heretofore  erected  and  used  for  manufacturing, 
storing,  or  keeping  of  any  of  such  explosives. 

[Act  approved  March  29, 1887,  laws  of  1887,  page  68.] 

Makes  its  unlawful  to  carry  powder  or  high  explosives  in  boats  on  any  of  the 
ponds  or  lakes  of  the  State,  or  those  lying  partly  in  the  State,  in  a  greater  quan- 
tity than  50  pounds.  Fine  not  exceeding  $1,000.  This  does  not  apply  to  carry- 
ing or  t'.'ansporting  such  explosives  on  any  lake  or  pond  near  which  the  same  is 
intended  to  be  used  for  blasting  purposes. 


38 


RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  FIRE  COMMISSIONERS  OF  JERSEY 

CITY. 

The  followinflf  rule  was  adopted  D3ceTnb3r  27,  1882,  relative  to  the  manufac- 
turvi,  storajji^  transportation,  and  sale  of  powder,  nitroglycerin,  etc.: 

"RuLEl.  No  person  shall  manufacture,  have,  keep,  or  give  away  any  gun- 
powder, blasting  powder,  guncotton.  niti  o-glycerin,  or  dualin  within  the  limits 
of  .Jersey  City,  except  in  the  quantities  limited  in  the  manner  and  upon  the 
conditions  herein  provided,  and  under  such  regulations  in  special  cases  as  this 
l)oard  shall  prescribe.  Permits  may  be  issued  to  persons  desiring  to  sell  gun- 
powder or  any  of  the  articles  herein  mentioned,  at  retail,  at  a  particular  place 
in  said  city,  to  be  name  1  in  s^il  permit  (provided  that  the  same  ba  not  in  a 
building  used  in  any  part  thereof  as  a  dwelling,  unless  specially  authorized  by 
said  permit),  and  persons  having  a  permit  from  the  board  of  fire  commissioners 
may  have  on  their  premises,  if  actually  kept  for  sale,  a  quantity  not  exceeding 
at  any  one  time— of  guncotton,  5  pounds;  of  gunpowder,  14  pounds;  blasting 
jx>wder,  25  pounds ;  and  all  of  said  articles  shall  be  put  up  in  tignt  metallic  canis- 
tei-s,  containing  or  capable  of  containing  not  more  thanl  pound  each  ;  and  the  per- 
sons having  such  i>ermit  shall  place  on  some  conspicuous  part  of  the  frOnt  of  each 
of  the  stores  or  buildings  in  which  they  may  ))e  permitted  to  sell  powder,  or  any 
of  the  articles  herein  named,  a  sign,  on  which  shall  be  distinctly  painted  in 
characters  legible  to  persons  passing  such  stores  or  buildings,  the  words, 
'Gunpowder,  by  permit  of  the  board  of  fire  commissioners.' or  designating  such 
other  of  the  articles  herein  named  ;  and  every  barrel,  cask,  canister,  bottle, 
can.  vessel,  box,  or  parcel,  in  which  the  same  is  sold  or  into  which  the 
same  is  delivered  on  being  sold,  shall  be  distinctly  la1)eled  with  a  printed 
sign  or  label  printed  upon  or  firmly  affixed  thereto,  describing  the  articles  con- 
tained therein,  with  the  word  'danger  '  distinctly  painted  before  the  same.  No 
nitro-glycerin.  dualin.  or  gunpowder,  greater  than  above,  shall  be  kept,  car- 
ried, or  conveyed,  except  that,  for  the  p  irpos  ^s  of  distribution  to  oi'  delivering 
from  stores  or  buildings,  a  quantity  not  more  than  5  quarter  casks  may  be  carried 
at  any  one  time  during  the  daytime,  for  the  purpose  of  transportation  from  any 
vessel  or  car.  or  sending  the  same  to  stores  or  buildings,  or  any  vessel,  car,  or 
place  outside  of  the  limits  of  the  city :  Provided,  That  in  carrying  or  conveying 
the  same  it  shall  be  protected  by  being  completely  and  securely  covered  with  a 
leather  or  canvas  cover  or  case,  and  marked  'gunpowder.' 

"  The  commander,  owner,  or  owners  of  any  ship  or  other  vessel  arriving  in 
the  harbor,  and  having  more  than  28  pounds  of  gunpowder,  dualin,  or  nitro- 
glycerin on  board,  shall  within  forty-eight  hours  after  the  arrival,  and  before 
such  ship  or  vessel  shall  approach  nearer  than  300  feet  of  any  wharf,  pier,  or 
slip,  immediately  give  a  written  notice  to  the  board  of  fire  commissioners  of  the 
fact  that  such  gunpowder,  or  nilro-glycerin,  is  on  such  vessel;  but  any  vessel 
may  proceed  either  to  sea  within  forty-eight  hours  after  arrival,  or  may  trans- 
ship such  gunpowder  or  nitro  glycerin  from  one  ship  or  vessel  to  another,  for 
the  purpose  of  immediate  transportation,  without  landing  the  same  :  Provided, 
hoivever,  That  the  provisions  of  the  rules  and  regulations  hereby  established 
shall  not  apply  to  any  vessel  receiving  gunpowder  on  freight  on  any  one  day, 
provided  such  vessel  do  not  remaift  at  any  wharf,  or  be  within  300  feet  after  sun- 
set. Nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to  apply  to  any  ship  or  vessel 
of  war  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  foreign  government,  which 
is  lying  distant  300  feet  or  upwards  from  any  wharf,  pier,  or  slip. 

"  A  greater  quantity  of  ganpowder  or  any  of  the  articles  herein  named,  may 
be  stored  or  used  in  such  manner  as  the  board  of  fire  commissioners  may  desig- 
nate, under  a  special  permit  issued  therefor." 

LAWS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

By  section  455  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  New  York  (1882),  ships  arriving  in 
New  York  Harbor  having  on  board  more  than  28  pounds  of  gunpowder,  dualin, 
or  nitro-glycerin  are  required  to  give  notice  in  writing  to  the  fire  commissioners 
within  forty-eight  hours'  after  arrival  and  before  the  vessel  has  approached 
nearer  than  .300  yards  of  any  wharf,  pier,  or  slip  to  the  southward  of  a  line  drawn 
through  the  center  of  Seventy- third  street.  It  is,  however,  lawful  for  the  ship 
to  proceed  to  sea  within  forty-eight  hours  after  her  arrival,  or  to  transship  the 
explosives  to  another  vessel  for  immediate  ti-ansportation  witho  it  landing  it. 

The  above  provisions  do  not  apply  to  any  vessels  receiving  gunpowder  as 
freight  on  any  one  day,  provided  the  vessel  does  not  remain atany  wharf  of  New 


39 


York  City  or  be  within  300  yards  thereof  after  sunset.  Explosives  seized  for 
violation  of  this  section  are  sold  without  notice  to  the  owner  within  three  days, 
the  proceeds  going  to  the  tire  department  relief  fund. 

Nothing-  contained  in  the  above  section  shall  b3  construed  to  apply  to  any  ship 
or  vessel  of  war  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  or  of  any  foreign  government 
while  lying  distant  300  yards  or  upwards  from  the  wharves,  piers,  or  slips  of 
said  city. 

Section  456  of  the  same  act  regulates  the  amount  of  fireworks  or  cartridges  or 
other  explosives  which  may  be  kept  on  sale. 

Birdbeye's  Revised  Statutes  of  New  York,  vol.  2,  p.  2108,  makes  it  a  misde- 
meanor to  make  or  keep  explosives  or  combustible  material  in  or  carry  it  through 
a  city  or  village  in  a  manner  prohibited  by  law  or  ordinance.  Knowingly  pre- 
senting or  causing  to  be  presented  for  shipment  to  any  company  engaged  as  a 
common  carrier  of  passengers  or  freight,  explosives  of  any  kind  dangerous  to 
life  or  limb,  without  revealing  the  true  nature  of  such  an  article,  is  made  a  felony. 

By  the  regulations  of  the  hai-bor  masters  of  the  port  of  New  York,  all  vessels 
having  gunpowder  on  board  when  anchored  in  the  harbor  shall  hoist  and  keep 
a  red  lag  hoisted  in  the  rigging  during  the  time  they  are  discharging  or  re- 
ceiving the  same. 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  FIRE  COMMISSIONERS  OF  NEW 

YORK. 

The  transportation  and  storage  of  explosives  within  the  corporation  limits  of 
New  York  City  is  regulated  by  the  New  York  board  of  fire  commissionei's 
(rules  established  May  22,  1889).  '  The  following  is  an  abstract  of  some  of  the 
provisions : 

Persons  employed  in  the  manufacture,  sale,  storage,  and  use  of  explosives 
shall  not  be  less  than  21  years  old,  of  good  habits,  reliable,  and  able  to  read  the 
English  language  understandingly,  and  shall  be  examined  as  to  their  knowledge 
of  explosives. 

Packages  of  explosives  on  sale  must  be  distinctly  marked  so  as  to  plainly  de- 
scribe the  article  it  contains,  with  the  word    danger  "  distinctly  painted  below. 

Packages  containing  explosives  are  of  three  sizes,  to  contain,  respectively,  not 
more  than  5,  10.  and  50  pounds.  No  larger  package  is  permitted  except  by  spe- 
cial consent  and  under  additicnal  special  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by 
the  inspector  of  combustibles. 

The  explosives  are  required  to  be  packed  in  substantial  receptacles,  tightly 
cloied  to  prevent  the  escaps  of  any  of  its  contsnts. 

Larger  quantities  than  5  pounds  must  be  in  double  packages,  the  inner  pack- 
age to  be  a  substantial  receptacle,  kept  clean  and  free  from  grit ;  no  iron  or  steel 
to  be  used  unless  effectually  covered  with  zinc,  tin,  or  other  material ;  the  outer 
package  must  be  waterproof,  of  material  other  than  metal,  and  to  be  so  con- 
structed as  not  to  be  easily  broken  or  opened  while  in  transit. 

High  explosives  must  be  in  perfect  condition,  and  not  older  than  one  year. 

It  is  prohibited  to  convey  in  any  vessel  or  conveyance  used  in  any  way  for  pas- 
&:enger  service  more  than  5  pounds  in  all.  Precautions  must  be  taken  to  guard 
against  fire  or  explosion :  and  it  is  forbidden  to  carry  in  the  same  conveyance  at 
at  the  same  time  any  caps  or  detonators,  and  iron  or  steel  tools  are  not  per- 
mitted in  proximity  to  the  explosives. 

For  purix)ses  of  distribution  and  delivery  ,  140  pounds  are  permitted  in  vessels  or 
conveyances  not  used  or  intended  to  be  used  for  passengers,  subject  to  the  fol- 
lowing restrictions: 

The  transportation  not  to  be  between  sunrise  and  sunset. 

If  in  the  hold  of  a  vessel,  the  deck  to  be  kept  securely  closed. 

If  on  deck,  to  be  completely  and  sacurely  covered  with  a  suitable  covering  of 
leather,  canvas,  or  rubber,  to  have  the  word  "Gunpowder  "'conspicuously  marked 
thereon. 

If  in  a  vehicle,  the  explosive  to  be  completely  inclosed  on  all  sides,  top  and 
bottom  ;  if  in  an  open  vehicle,  to  be  covered  as  prescribed  for  transportation  on 
the  deck  of  a  vessel.  No  iron  or  steel  to  be  near  explosives  so  transported  un- 
less covered  with  leather,  wood,  or  textile  fabric  of  soft  or  yielding  material. 
Only  safety  matches,  securely  kept  entirely  separate  from  the  explosive,  are 
allowed  on  such  vessels  or  vehicles. 

In  stowing  explosives  in  vessels  or  vehicles  they  must  be  in  separated  par- 
titions to  guard  against- contact  with  other  articles  forming  part  of  the  same 
cargo  or  load  which  may  be  liable  to  cause  fire  or  explosion. 


40 


Smokiiii;-  upon  such  vessel  or  vehicle  is  prohibited,  and  no  intoxicated  person 
is  allowod  on  iKjiird:  neitiier  is  the  presenccor  intci'fereiice  of  unauthorized  pev- 
sons  permitted.  ( 'aj-elossness  or  recklessness  in  conductinfjf,  driving,  loading-,  or 
unloading-  is  proliibitad,  and  when  the  loading  or  unloading  is  begun,  it  must 
not  unnecessarily  be  interrui)t3d  or  delayed. 

Transportation  must  not  Ik?  commenced  before  all  necessary  arrangements  to 
insure  pr()mj)t  delivery  at  destination  have  been  made.  The  shortest  route 
must  l3e  taken;  if  necessary  to  do  otherwise,  the  lea.st  populated  streets  to  be 
used . 

Vessels  carrying  merchandise  liable  to  causeor  communicate  fire  or  explosion 
can  carry  but  ')(.)  pounds  of  explosives. 

Vessels  carrying  more  than  1(K)  pounds  of  explosives  shall  not  stop  before 
rebelling  destination  unless  unavoidable,  especially  when  stopping  or  delaying 
migiit  be  attended  with  special  danger.  Precaution  must  be  taken  to  prevent 
water  coming  in  contact  with  any  nitro-glycerin  mixtures;  if  necessary  an  arti- 
ficial light,  safely  covered,  constructed,  and  placed,  and  safety  matches  may  be 
used. 

The  owner,  master,  or  driver  of  any  vessel  or  vehicle  transporting  explosives 
is  required  to  furnish  his  employes  with  copies  of  the  above  regulations,  and 
shall  conspicuously  post  copies  of  the  same  where  they  can  be  conveniently  read. 
He  is  also  required  to  make  his  employes  familiar  with  the  provisions  of  these 
regulations. 

But  one  person  is  permitted  to  b3  in  charge  of  any  such  vehicle  or  vessel  and 
he  is  to  be  compL'tent  and  reliable  and  in  constant  attendance.  A  person  in 
charge  of  more  than  100  pounds  in  transit  thi  ough  the  city  must  have  a  permit. 
This  does  not  apply  to  railway  cars  forming  a  part  of  continuous  train,  if  such 
train  is  in  charge  of  a  competent  person.  Permits  are  not  transferable,  and 
last  one  year,  and  are  confined  to  but  one  building  in  any  square  or  block. 

Amount  to  be  kept  on  hand  is  limited  by  law.  as  follows:  Nitro-glycerin,  5 
povmds;  gun  cotton,  5  pounds:  gunpowder,  14  pounds;  blasting  powder,  25 
pounds.    All  other  explosives  limited  to  5  pounds. 

Explosives  are  prohibited  to  be  sold  or  exposed  for  sale  on  any  public  thor- 
oughfare, road,  or  street,  and  sellers  are  compelled  to  keep  a  record  of  purchases 
and  sales  of  explosives,  subject  to  inspection  of  the  fire  department  authorities; 
also  to  make  weekly  reports  of  sales  and  deliveries  of  high  explosives. 

Licenses  for  construction  of  storage  magazines  are  issued  under  restrictions 
as  to  construction,  etc.  They  must  be  entirely  separated  from  what  are  termed 
"  protected  structures*'  of  the  first  and  second  class. 

The  first  class  comprises  buildings  used  for  dwelling  or  manufacturing  pur- 
poses, workshops,  furnaces,  or  fireplaces  for  boilers,  engines,  or  other  machin- 
ery, occupied  by  the  licensee;  if  not,  he  must  obtain  the  consent  of  the  occu- 
pants. 

The  second  class  comprises  all  buildings  not  mentioned  in  the  first  class. 
The  amount  to  be  stored  is  limited  as  follows: 

Not  less  than  50  yards  from  the  nearest  structure  of  class  1  and  100  yards  from 
class  2,  500  pounds  of  blasting  powder  or,  in  lieu  thereof,  one-half  that  quantity 
of  high  explosives. 

Not  less  than  75  yards  from  the  nearest  structure  of  class  1  and  150  yards  from 
the  nearest  structure  of  class  2,  1,120  pounds  of  blasting  powder,  or,  in  lieu 
thereof,  one-half  of  that  quantity  of  high  explosives. 

These  allowances  are  subject  to  alteration  should  the  conditions  as  to  the  dis- 
tance of  the  structure  change. 

Only  the  explosives  mentioned  in  the  permit  can  be  stored,  and  no  detonators 
are  allowed,  and  the  interiors  of  the  magazines  must  be  constructed  so  as  not  to 
allow  foreign  or  metallic  substances  to  come  in  contact  w^ith  the  explosive.  The 
magazine  must  be  i)rotected  by  a  sufficient  lightning  conductor  unless  it  is  an 
excavation  or  is  licensed  to  contain  less  than  500  pounds  of  blasting  powder, 
etc.  (its  equivalent). 

There  are  other  restrictions,  such  as  smoking,  entering  without  rubber  boots, 
protection  from  moisture,  posting  of  the  rules,  danger  sign-boards,  red  flag  by 
day  and  red  light  by  night,  etc. 


41 


F. 

Summary  of  large  accidental  explosions. 

In  1769  a  square  tower  at  Brescia,  70  feet  high  and  18 feet  from  out  to  out.  was 
destro^^ed  by  the  explosion  of  gunpowder  stored  within  it.  The  amount  of  pow- 
der was  about  175,000  pounds.  Within  a  radius  of  213  yards,  190  houses  were 
destroyed.  Within  a  radius  of  639  yards,  500  houses  were  greatly  injured.  The 
walls  of  this  tower  were  over  5  feet  thick.  It  was  two  stories  high  and  entirely 
above  ground. 

During  the  siege  of  Almeida  by  the  French  in  the  Peninsular  war  a  maga- 
zine exploded  which  contained  165,000  pounds  of  powder.  The  cathedral,  dis- 
tant 180  yards,  was  destroyed.  Three-quarters  of  the  town,  which  lay  within  a 
radius  of  220  yards  from  the  magazine,  was  destroyed.  The  French  trenches 
were  from  650  to  875  yards  distant  and  large  masses  of  stone  were  thrown  into 
them. 

At  the  siege  of  Sebastopol,  a  depot  magazine  of  the  French  army  in  the  Ma- 
melon  Vert,  which  contained  15,40J  pounds  of  powder,  exploded.  It  was  sunk 
l^elow  the  parade  in  the  middle  of  the  work,  and  was  made  bombproof  by  earth 
and  logs.  The  explosion  formed  a  crater  extending  to  the  limits  of  the  terre- 
plein,  but  did  no  material  injury  to  the  parapet.  Two  batteries,  distant  50 
yards  from  the  centerof  the  magazine,  were  injured.  Some  men  were  killed  by 
the  first  effect  of  the  explosion,  and  others  by  the  material  thrown  upon  them. 

On  June  9,  1863,  a  magazine  at  Fort  Lyons,  in  the  defenses  of  Washington,  was 
exploded.  The  floor  was  9  feet  below  the  parade.  The  space  for  powder  was 
64  by  7  by  7  feet,  covered  on  top  with  heavy  logs  and  8  feet  of  earth.  The  whole 
amount  of  powder  was  32,00!)  pounds.  The  diameter  of  the  crater  was  about  45 
feet.  The  parapet  of  the  fort,  although  within  80  feet  and  rising  several  feet 
above  the  terreplein.  was  hardly  injured.  Wooden  buildings  and  tents  near  the 
magazines  were  entirely  destroyed,  but  the  bombproof,  distant  75  feet  from  it, 
and  which  at  the  time  contained  most  of  the  garrison,  escaped  uninjured.  A 
house  350  yards  distant  had  its  windows  blown  in  and  its  doors  blown  out.  The 
walls  were  started  in  one  place  more  than  an  inch,  while  the  whole  house  was 
settled  unevenly  on  its  foundation.  Several  persons  were  lifted  up  and  thrown 
to  considerable  distances,  in  one  case  about  150  yards,  with  slight  injury. 

In  October,  1864,  two  powder  magazines  and  two  barges  loaded  with  powder, 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Thames,  near  Erith,  England,  exploded.  The  largest 
magazine  (Hall's)  was  50  feet  square  on  two  floors,  and  contained  750  barrels. 
The  smaller  (Lowood^s)  was  28  by  48  feet,  and  contained  90  barrels.  The  two 
barges  contained  200  barrels,  making  a  total  quantity  exploded  of  about  115,000 
pounds.  .The  two  magazines  were  but  135  feet  from  each  other,  situated  on  the 
edge  of  the  river.  The  two  barges  were  moored  at  wharves  projecting  about 
120  feet  into  the  river.  Near  the  two  magazines  were  three  cottages.  One  was 
71  yards  from  Hall's  magazine,  and  another  70  yards ;  a  third  was  50  yards  from 
Lowood's  magazine. 

All  these  structures  were  upon  a  tract  of  20 acres  of  ground,  and  were  the  only 
buildings  within  a  mile.  There  were  three  explosions — the  first  on  the  barges, 
the  second  in  the  large  magazine,  and  the  third  in  the  smaller  magazine.  The 
barges  were  split  into  fragments,  and  not  a  stone  remained. upon  another  in  the 
magazines.  A  crater  in  the  levee  was  formed  75  feet  in  length  and  5  feet  deep. 
The  cottages  were  all  thrown  down,  but  little  damage  was  done  beyond  the  20 
acres  other  than  the  breaking  of  window  sashes  and  doors  and  cracking  of  walls 
up  to  a  range  of  If  miles.  The  shock  was  felt  at  London,  distant  at  the  nearest 
point  about  15  miles.  Three  other  magazines  at  distances  respectively  of  one- 
quarter  of  a  mile,  one-half  of  a  mile,  and  1  mile,  received  no  injury. 

In  the  summer  of  1864  a  canal  boat  containing  not  less  than  8  tons  of  powder 
was  exploded  at  City  Point,  Va,  It  lay  between  a  similar  canal  boat  and  the 
piled  wharf.  On  this  wharf  was  a  wooden  warehouse.  About  300  feet  of  the 
wharf  and  the  warehouse  were  destroyed.  A  loaded  railroad  train  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  wharf  was  uninjured,  but  some  light  wooden  buildings  and  tents 
165  yards  distant  were  blown  down.  Fragments  of  the  boat  were  thrown  500 
yards.    No  persons  were  injured  unless  struck  by  projectiles.  • 

On  August  11,  187] ,  an  explosion  of  13|  tons  of  guncotton  occurred  at  Stow- 
market.  The  first  explosion  took  plauie  almost  bimultaneously  in  three  maga- 
zines.   This  involved  the  nearly  complete  destruction  of  the  buildings  composing 


42 


the  faotory,  togfothor  with  injury  to  other  striictui'es  in  the  neig-hborliood.  Some 
of  the  baiKlin«rs  wore  selon  tiro,  and  a  Hocond  small  explosion  oeeiirred  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  after  the  first,  adding-  to  the  hjssof  life  but  not  materially  to 
the  damag-e.  The  etTect-i  of  the  lai-^e  explosion  were  as  follows  :  Some  window 
sashes  and  frames  were  broken  uj)  to  a  distance  of  about  1  mile.  Between  one- 
quarter  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  some  slig-ht  material  damag-e  was  done;  but 
as  a  general  rule  serious  damajje  was  limited  to  a  rang-eof  from  450  to  500  yards. 
At  from  30i)  to  4(K1  yards,  cottages  of  sligiit  construction  were  almost  destroyed. 
The  buildings  of  the  factory,  situated  from  20  to  50  yards  from  the  magazines, 
were  completely  demolished. 

In  1874  an  explosion  of  about  5  tons  of  gimpowder  occurred  at  Regents' 
Park,  L  )ndon.  The  powder  was  on  a  canal  boat,  in  a  cutting,  which  materially 
screened  the  neighboring  buildings.  Serious  structural  damage  was  limited  to 
a  radius  of  about  200  yards;  damage  to  window  frames  extended  to  about  600 
yards ;  window  glass  was  broken  up  to  a  range  of  nearly  a  mile. 

In  August.  18H(),  a  brick  magazine  belonging  to  the  Lallin  &  Rand  Powder 
Company,  near  Chicago,  III.,  was  exploded  by  lightning  during  a  thunder  storm. 
The  building  contained  about  150,000  pounds  of  assorted  blasting  and  sporting 
jjowder  and  12,000  pounds  of  dynamite.  Other  magazines  were  near  by,  but 
none  of  them  were  exploded.  One  belonging  to  the  Oriental  Powder  Company 
was  about  300  feet  distant,  and  was  seriously  damaged  in  the  roof  and  the  walls 
were  broken  in  to  some  extent.  A  small  frame  structure  near  by  was  blown 
down  and  injury  to  persons  occurred  there.  At  about  000  feet  in  another  direc- 
tion were  two  other  magazines  belonging  to  other  powder  companies  ;  they  also 
were  considerably  damaged.   Injury  to  houses  occurred  up  to  800  or  1,000  yards. 

On  January  16,  1887,  a  tremendous  explosion  occurred  on  board  of  a  small  sail- 
ing vessel  stranded  near  the  Seal  Rocks,  at  the  entrance  of  San  Francisco  Har- 
bor. Her  cargo  included  7  tons  of  dynamite  No.  1,  21  tons  of  dynamite  No.  2, 
and  12  tons  of  Judson  powder,  or  a  total  of  about  40  tons  of  high  explosives. 
The  locality  was  wild  and  with  few  buildings  in  the  vicinity,  but  the  ClitT  House 
Hotel,  distant  about  800  feet,  at  an  elevation  of  about  84  feet  above  the  water, 
with  its  surrounding  structures,  was  almost  completely  wrecked.  Windows 
were  broken  in  San  Francisco  5  or  6  miles  away,  although  the  city  was  shielded 
by  high  intervening  hills. 

On  August  11,  1887,  an  explosion  occurred  in  the  Giant  Powder  Works  near 
San  Francisco.  About  2  tons  of  nitro-glycerin  exploded  in  the  manufacturing 
department.  About  100  feet  therefrom  2  tons  more  of  nitroglycerin  were 
stored  in  a  building  which  was  demolished,  but  without  injury  to  the  explosive. 
The  foreman  of  the  works  noticed  that  something  was  wrong  with  the  process, 
and  after  giving  the  alarm  ran  for  his  life.  When  the  explosion  occurred  he  had 
reached  a  point  about  120  feet  from  the  house,  and  where  he  was  partly  pro- 
tected by  a  low  bank  of  earth,  so  that  he  did  not  receive  the  full  shock  of  the 
blast.  He  was,  however,  thrown  by  the  air  currents  a  few  feet  into  a  deep  cut, 
but  escaped  without  serious  injury.  About  15,000  pounds  of  Judson  powder  took 
fire  and  burned  without  explosion. 

On  June  28,  1888,  4,509  pounds  of  blasting  gelatine  exploded  in  a  magazine  at 
FortTarshyne.  The  structural  damage  done  was  slight,  but  windows  and  light 
trelliswork  were  shattered  up  to  half  a  mile  of  distance.  Two  6-inch  guns 
mounted  at  a  distance  of  30  yards  were  quite  uninjured. 

On  September  6.  1889,  one  of  the  most  serious  explosions  of  modern  times  oc- 
curred at  Antwerp.  About  6  tons  of  gunpowder  exploded  in  a  factory  for  break- 
ing up  obsolete  metallic  cartridges.  It  was  situated  in  a  populous  part  of  the 
northern  portion  of  the  city.  The  powder  was  contained  in  two  light  wooden 
sheds  situated  about  30  yards  from  each  other.  About  100  persons  were  killed 
and  150  injured.  An  expert  analysis  of  the  results  of  the  explosion  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  radius  of  structural  damage  was  370  yards ;  that  of  minor 
damages,  such  as  window  frames  blown  out,  ceilings  cracked,  etc.,  was  1,000 
yards,  and  that  of  windows  broken  2,000  yards. 

On  October  7,  1890,  a  very  large  explosion  occurred  at  the  powder  works  of 
the  Du  Pont-De  Nemours  Company  at  Wilmington,  Del.  It  originated  in  a 
magazine  containing  50  tons  of  brown  prismatic  powder,  and  extended  to  five 
other  buildings.  One  of  the  latter,  next  in  order  and  sheltered  by  a  hill,  con- 
tained 25  tons  of  United  States  field  artillery  gunpowder;  and  another,  also 
*  sheltered  by  a  hill,  5  tons  of  sporting  powder,  making  a  total  of  at  least  80  tons 
of  gunpowder.  The  later  explosions  may  have  occurred  from  fire  communicated 
by  burning  grains  of  the  brown  prismatic  powder,  which  were  widely  distributed. 
So  far  as  could  be  determined  the  radius  of  serious  damage  to  buildings  was 


43 


limited  to  100  yards,  but  the  lack  of  such  structures  built  in  the  vicinity  made 
this  danger  radius  a  matter  of  doubt. 

On  April  23,  1891,  a  tremendous  explosion  occurred  in  Rome,  Italy.  It  orig-- 
inated  in  a  magazine  at  Vigna  Pia,  3  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city.  This  was 
a  masonry  building  48  by  18  feet,  lying  in  a  small  valley.  It  was  surrounded  by 
a  wall  and  consistedlof  a  basement,  two  stories,  and  attics.  It  contained  285  tons 
of  powder  and  25,000  cannon  cartridges,  besides  large  quantities  of  fuses,  deto- 
nators, friction  tubes,  and  fireworks  in  a  separate  compartment.  No  nitro  com- 
pounds were  present.  Serious  structural  damage  was  caused  in  buildings  at  dis- 
tances varying  from  550  to  875  yards.  Roofs  and  interior  partitions  were  badly 
damaged  up  to  an  average  distance  of  875  yards,  and  in  three  cases  up  to  1,650 
yards. 

Broken  glass  was  general  throughout  the  city.  At  the  British  Embassy, 
7,000  yards  distance,  61  jpanes  were  broken.  A  window  "built  up  with  ma- 
sonry" was  blown  in  at  a  distance  of  5,000  yards.  A  barometer  4,000  yards  dis- 
tant indicated  a  compression  of  the  atmosphere  measured  by  0.46  inch,  followed 
by  a  depression  measure  by  0.35  inch  below  the  normal,  showing  a  wave  from 
crest  to  trough  measured  by  0.81  inch.  A  second  waive  of  0.47  and  0.18  inch, 
equal  to.  0.6;">  inch  followed;  The  final  increase  was  O.Oo  inch.  Seismom- 
eters 18  miles  distant  recorded  three  distinct  waves.  The  gunpowder  was  ap- 
parently fully  consumed.  His  Majesty's  inspectors  of  explosives,  in  the  annual 
report  for  1891,  remark  : 

"  The  range  of  structural  damage  caused  by  an  amount  of  explosive  far  exceed- 
ing that  stored  in  any  licensed  magazine  in  this  country  was.  comparatively 
speaking,  so  small  that  it  gives  us  every  reason  to  feel  confident  that  the  dis- 
tances assigned  in  the  licenses  to  be  maintained  between  magazines  and  '  pro- 
tected buildings  and  works '  are  amply  sufficient  to  provide  against  serious  struc- 
tural damage  in  the  event  of  an  explosion.  Such  minor  damages  as  broken 
windows  are  practically  impossible  to  be  guaranteed  against,  except  in  the  case 
of  some  magazines  on  exceptionally  lonely  and  remote  localities." 

On  July  9,  1892,  a  notable  explosion  occurred  at  the  Giant  Powder  Works  near 
Berkeley,  Cal.    The  local  topography  may  be  thus  described : 

A  narrow  ridge  having  two  summits  extends  about  900  feet  from  north  to  south 
along  the  eastern  shore  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  forming  an  obtuse  point  distant 
about  7  or  8  miles  from  this  city.  The  northern  summit  rises  about  100  feet  and 
the  southern  summit  about  80  feet  above  the  water,  with  a  depression  between 
them  60  feet  high.  On  the  northern  slope  of  the  higher  hill  at  a  reference  of 
about  80  feet  was  situated  the  nitro-glycerin  factory  where  the  explosion  orig- 
inated. The  mixing  house,  shop,  and  magazines  which  were  exploded  were 
situated  at  a  reference  of  about  20  or  30  feet  at  the  foot  of  the  northern  hill,  ex- 
tending in  a  general* direction  east  and  west.  These  buildings  were  individually 
separated  from  each  other  by  earthen  travei'ses. 

A  short  distance  further  to  the  eastward  at  reference  20  were  two  wooden 
acid  manufactories,  one  in  an  excavation.  Both  were  destroyed,  the  lower 
stories  only  remaining.  Two  dwellings  were  situated  from  600  to  800  feet  fur- 
ther south  and  at  about  the  same  reference  (20  feet).  The  roofs  of  both  were 
crushed ;  whether  by  lifting  and  falling  or  by  direct  pressure  is  not  clear.  Some 
Chinamen's  houses  and  stables — light  shanties — at  still  greater  distances  were 
all  badly  shaken.  On  the  ridge  in  the  depression  between  the  two  hills  and  pro- 
tected by  the  northern  one,  was  a  brick  house,  distant  say  500  feet.  It  was  un- 
roofed and  its  gables  shaken  off  for  a  few  feet.  On  the  top  of  the  lesser  hill  was 
a  high  brick  chimney  which  was  badly  shaken  and  cracked. 

There  were  five  separate  detonations  within  fifteen  minutes.  The  first  was 
probably  in  the  nitro-glycerin  factory,  about  80  feet  above  the  bay.  The  building 
probably  contained  from  1 ,000  to  2,000  pounds  of  that  explosive.  The  second  was 
in  the  incorporating  shop  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  20  feet  above  the  bay,  and  adja- 
cent to  the  wash  house,  which  was  connected  with  the  factory  by  a  pipe  to  con- 
vey nitro-glycerin.  The  several  cartridge  shops  next  in  line  followed  :  and  last 
of  all,  after  fifteen  minutes'  interval,  two  or  three  magazines,  which  detonated 
sensibly  at  the  same  instant.  These  magazines  had  brick  walls  15  inches  thick 
and  roofs  of  closely  laid  solid  timber  covered  with  metal.  They  are  said  to  have 
contained  dynamite  and  Judson  powder  and  nitrate  of  soda  blackr  blasting  pow- 
der. The  amount  is  not  definitely  made  public.  Different  statements  of  officers 
of  the  company  give  it  as  from  100  tons  to  75  tons,  without  distinguishing  grades. 
Another  statement  from  expert  authority  is  the  following : 

"  There  was  an  explosion  at  one  instant  of  350  tons  of  dynamite.  This,  it  was 
said,  was  mainly  of  a  high  grade,  averaging  over  40  per  cent  of  nitro-glycerin. 


44 


merit:.  \%ciro  two  other  explosions,  said  to  have  been  of  150  tons  and  100  tons  ro- 
6))octively." 

The  truth  ])robably  lies  tetween  these  widely  different  estimates. 

As  to  the  destructive  effects  Col.  Mendell.  Corps  of  Engineers,  to  whose  kind- 
ness we  are  indebted  for  most  of  these  details,  states  : 

"The  first  explosion  appears  to  have  set  the  wooden  building's  afire,  which  is 
sufficient  to  account  for  the  successive  detonations,  except,  porhai)S,  the  maga- 
zine. *  *  *  The  destruction  was  partly  due  tj  fire  and  partly  to  exjilosion. 
*  *  *  The  roofs  of  all  buildings  standing  on  the  track  were  crushed  in  and 
the  walls  thrown  out:  the  windows  were  generally  blown  in,  altiiough  in  the 
city,  7  or  S  miles  distant,  heavy  win:low  panes  were  blown  out.  *  *  *  There 
is  a  good  deal  to  indicate  that  roofs  were  blown  in  (not  lifted,  but  depressed), 
but  I  am  not  sure  about  this.  *  *  *  No  great  damage — that  is,  no  great  de- 
struction— was  done  bjyond  a  quarter  of  a  mile  :  but  there  are  no  houses  to  speak 
of  within  a  mile.  One  about  a  half-mile  off  was  quite  badly  injured  ;  but  at  8 
miles  or  more  distint  glass  was  broken  freely  and  things  shaken  up  as  by  a 
mall  earthquake,  which  indeed  it  was." 


G. 

Tables  shotcing  distances  from  protected  worlcs  for  magazines  and  other 

danger  buildings. 

In  any  case  where  the  protected  work  is  effectively  screened  from  the  maga- 
zine or  danger  building,  either  by  the  natural  features  of  the  ground  or  by  good 
and  substantial  artilicial  mounds  of  earth  or  mine  refuse  of  such  height  that  a 
line  drawn  from  any  part  of  the  magazine  or  danger  building  to  any  part  of  the 
protected  work  in  question  will  pass  through  the  intervening  grounder  mound, 
the  distance  from  that  protected  work  (except  for  quantities  of  1,(X)0  pounds  and 
under)  will  be  reduced  one-half.*  Provided  that  when  a  natural  hill  so  inter- 
venes as  to  afford  a  degree  of  protection  which  in  the  opinion  of  a  Government 
inspector  justifies  a  further  reduction,  the  distance  shown  in  the  table  will  be 
reduced  to  one-quarter.  In  no  case,  however,  is  the  distance  from  Her  Majesty's 
palaces  to  be  less  than  2  miles. 

*It  is  learned  that  this  paragraph  is  applied  to  floating  magazines  when  the  explosive  is  kepi 
below  the  water  line. 


45 


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